SCRANTON, PA – The University of Rochester baseball team smacked a team-record six home runs in a 18-7 win over the University of Scranton on Tuesday afternoon at Scranton's Volpe Field.
Senior Alexander Gonzalo lifted two homers, with Rochester getting one each from graduate students Jackson Reed, Josh Leadem and Sammy Smith, along with senior Jack Corcoran.
The six long balls beat the previous single-game UR record by one, as Rochester hit five home runs only once before, coming in a 2010 game at Rensselaer.
Besides the home run record, Rochester ended just one stolen base shy of the single-game record, swiping 12 bags in the victory. That includes four from Leadem who tied a career-high and became UR's all-time stolen base leader in the process. Leadem's four steals pushed his total to 95 for his career, eclipsing the previous career record of 91, set by Alex Caghan '12.
With the win, UR's first this season, the Yellowjackets improve to 1-4. Scranton, an NCAA Division III Tournament qualifier last season, falls to 1-4 so far in 2025.
Rochester's 18 runs were the most by the team since a 21-run outburst last March against St. Lawrence.
Four of the home run hitters finished with multiple base knocks for the Yellowjackets, with Reed leading the way, going 4-for-7 at the plate. He finished a triple shy of the cycle, adding a double, two runs scored and two steals.
Gonzalo went 3-for-4 with the two home runs and set a career-high with five RBI. He also scored four times and swiped two steals. Leadem meanwhile, just had one hit, the home run, but crossed home plate four times.
Corcoran added a 2-for-5 game with three RBI, with Smith finishing 3-for-5 with two RBI.
UR used four pitchers in the game to get through the nine innings. First-year Andrew Lenhard went three and allowed just one run. Matt Casiero tossed 2.1 innings and was followed by Matt Bradley for a frame. Theo Beckley closed out the final 2.2 innings and struck out two batters, the only two by the quartet on the day.
The Yellowjackets got things started in the first, scoring three runs. In a first-and-third situation, Leadem stole second and Reed stole home, putting UR on the board and giving Leadem the stolen base record. Gonzalo followed with an RBI single and the Yellowjackets pulled another first-and-third double steal to make it 3-0, with Gonzalo stealing home.
A solo blast from Corcoran boosted the lead for Rochester in the second before Scranton got on the board with an RBI double from Jimmy Lundari.
Another home run, this time off the bat of Smith in the third, increased the Yellowjackets lead to 6-1.
The next inning, Gonzalo lifted a home run to left and in the sixth, Reed hit his dinger and was followed two batters later by Gonzalo clobbering his second homer of the evening.
Scranton scraped four runs across in the sixth to trim the lead to 11-5, and got within five after a single tally in the seventh.
Rochester answered though, plating three runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth to move its run total to 18 for the day. Leadem's solo shot in the ninth was the record-breaking home run for the Yellowjackets.
UR returns home for its home-opener on Thursday, with the 'Jackets hosting Oswego State in a double-header starting at 1 pm.