PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester baseball team completed a two-game sweep in the Liberty League Crossover Series, defeating Bard College 9-3 on Sunday afternoon at Towers Field.
The series win advances Rochester (27-12, 18-3 Liberty League) to the Liberty League Tournament for the fifth straight season and eighth time in the last nine years. That event will be a four-team, double-elimination bracket taking place next Thursday through Saturday.
For the second straight day, the Yellowjackets clubbed three home runs to power the offense. Three individuals, Joseph Rende, Jacob Matzat and Luke Gregory provided the long balls in this one as Rochester jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after three innings.
In the first, after Aaron Whitley reached with a 1-out single, Rende smacked a home run to center, the 12th of his career, moving the graduate student into the top-10 in Rochester program history.
His fellow graduate student Matzat followed suit in the next inning, clearing the center field wall as well for another 2-run blast to put Rochester in front by four.
Rochester plated three in the third, two coming on a double down the left field line by Colton Avera. Colby Cruser lined a single to left center, putting the Yellowjackets up 7-0.
Bard (8-21, 5-13 Liberty League) battled back within four, getting two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth of UR starter Trevor Van Allen and reliever Thomas Blaydes.
In the fifth, a Rochester error on an infield single allowed Anthony Brigante to score. The next hitter, Jared Toby, also reached on an infield dribbler and plated Jack Williamson. Both runs against Van Allen were unearned.
The next inning, Jake Stacey tripled to lead off the inning for the Raptors and came around to score on a Brigante sacrifice fly to center.
UR got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning, with Gregory launching a solo home run and Josh Leadem getting a perfect jump on a wild pitch in the dirt and scoring from third.
In the seventh, Mark Aaronson sealed the deal with a 1-2-3 frame, striking out a pair.
Van Allen picked up the win, moving to 6-1 on the season for the Yellowjackets. He allowed 5 hits, 2 runs (0 earned) with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts.
Offensively, each of UR's nine starters recorded a hit, as the home team had 13 knocks in just six times up to bat. Whitley finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Rende was 2-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Leadem also finished 2-for-4 and had one of four stolen bases in the game for the Yellowjackets.