CARY, NC – The University of Rochester baseball team closed out its spring break schedule in North Carolina with its second straight split doubleheader against William Peace University on Wednesday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
Rochester (4-6) was able to win game on by a 5-3 score before the Pacers (4-9) responded with an 8-7 walk-off win to close out the series.
The Yellowjackets return home early on Thursday morning before heading back out on the road for a Saturday doubleheader at Allegheny College. Rochester's home opener is set for Sunday afternoon against St. John Fisher.
Game 1: Rochester 5, William Peace 3
Rochester starting pitcher Sammy Rosenfield was terrific in earning his first win of the season, tossing five scoreless innings on the mound while allowing just one hit. He walked three and struck out five.
For the third game in a row during the season, the Yellowjackets were able to get on the scoreboard in the opening frame. Quincy Jaksch, who laced five doubles in Tuesday's split DH, opened the scoring with an RBI single to left, plating Jackson Reed.
The lead ballooned to five runs in the second inning when Rochester scored four times, with all the runs being unearned. After an infield single and bunt single, a sacrifice bunt was thrown away, allowing Dan Tirabassi and Ethan Jaquette to score. After two outs, Reed doubled in Sammy Besztery with Alec Ellison providing another RBI hit to make the score 5-0 Yellowjackets.
William Peace got some traffic on the bases in the second inning via walk and the lone hit against Rosenfield. But the big UR right-hander was able to escape the inning by getting a strikeout.
The Pacers were able to break through for their first run of the game in the sixth thanks to a pair of Yellowjacket errors.
Rochester loaded the bases in the top of the seventh looking for some insurance runs, but were unable to push any runs across, leaving three runners stranded.
In the bottom of the last inning, William Peace made things interesting with two runs crossing home, but senior Thomas Blaydes was able to close out the game with the tying runs on base for his first save of the year.
Ellison and Nathan Carpenter-Holmes led UR with two hits each in the win. Eight of the nine starters in the game for Rochester finished with a base knock, while Reed, Jaksch and Ellison provided the RBI's.
Game 2: William Peace 8, Rochester 7
After finally getting shutout in the opening inning, it took until the second for Rochester to get on the scoreboard, grabbing the early lead for the fourth straight game.
Ellison led off with a smashed triple to left field and was brought in when Tirabassi lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Pacers had their big inning in the third off starter Mark Aaronson, scoring four runs to take the lead. After a hit batter and wild pitch, Adam Joseph singled to center to tie the game. After two outs, Aaronson looked to limit the damage, but a key UR error kept the inning alive, allowing William Peace to grab the lead. The Pacers added RBI singles from Andy Duran and Dalton Meredith in the frame.
Two more runs came across for William Peace in the fourth, building the lead to five, with the Pacers sitting up 6-1.
Rochester looked to rally in the fifth, with Reed leading off with a double, chasing Pacers starter Benjamin Borte from the game.
After error and a strikeout, William Peace hit Ellison to load the bases. UR's Tirabassi then stepped up and ripped a hard line drive that was snagged by the second baseman who flipped to the bag at second, doubling off the runner.
The Pacers had a runner at third with nobody out in the fifth, looking to build the lead, but a failed squeeze play got a key out at the plate and pitcher Matt Bradley added two more strikeouts in the inning to hold William Peace scoreless.
A balk in the bottom of the sixth allowed William Peace's lead to reach six.
Rochester did not go down without a fight in the seventh and final inning of the game.
Reed led off with a double. Stezzi walked before Jaksch lined out to center for the first out. Ellison followed with a hard double down the left field line, making the score 7-2.
A walk loaded the bases, but new pitcher Joshua Fitch was able to get a pop out to second base for the key second out of the inning.
Besztery followed with an RBI hit to right to score another run before a ball in the dirt allowed UR to continue its run scoring inning. Pinch-hitter Rob Constantine ripped a 2-run double to cut the lead to 7-6 and another pinch-hitter, Luke Blozy, added a run-scoring single to pull Rochester even.
Reed continued the big rally with his second hit of the inning to put the go-ahead runner in scoring position, but William Peace went to the bullpen again and got a pop out to keep the game tied.
UR's momentum after tying the game in the seventh unfortunately didn't last, as Duran led off the bottom half of the inning with a triple to right center.
Afterwards, UR pitcher Justin Grossman got a strikeout and a hard line out to left field to have a chance at sending the game to extras, but Joseph stepped up with two outs, ripping a base it to right center to end the game.
Reed led the 'Jackets offense with a 4-for-5 game that included two doubles. Ellison was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
On the mound, Aaronson struck out five in his three innings, while giving up four runs (two earned). Derek Llanes pitched an inning out of the pen for Rochester while Bradley went two innings and finished with four strikeouts.