SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The University of Rochester baseball team stretched its conference win streak to seven games and remains in first place in the Liberty League standings after a 3-game weekend sweep over Skidmore College on Sunday.
UR (14-12, 14-3 Liberty League) won a suspended game from Saturday 8-4 in 11 innings and then won a scheduled Sunday contest by a 4-2 score. The fourth and final game of the weekend series was postponed due to weather. Skidmore's record falls to 13-21 overall and 8-15 in the conference.
In Saturday's second game, the Yellowjackets got on the board in the top of the first inning when David Rieth tripled to center and the scored when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.
Steve Pickering made it 2-0 in the third inning when he scored on a throwing error by the Skidmore centerfielder following an Aiden Finch single.
The Thoroughbreds were able to cut the lead in half in the fourth, scoring on a Jake Hardy double to right center.
UR scored right away to regain the two-run lead in the fifth. Aaron Craig led off with a single and was then driven in by a Finch 2-out double to right center.
After the fifth inning, the rains came, forcing the suspension until Sunday.
On Sunday, Craig led off the seventh inning with a double and came around to make it 4-1 Rochester when he scored on a Rieth sacrifice fly.
The lead stayed three until the bottom of the eighth when Skidmore plated three runs to tie the score at 4-4. Hardy grounded out scoring a run, Pat Geiger scored on a wild pitch and Justin LaRose added a sac fly in the frame.
UR threatened in the top of the ninth, getting two runners on base, but both were stranded, sending the game to extras. In the tenth, Skidmore had two runners on with two outs, but reliever Garrett Renslow forced a groundout to keep UR in it.
Renslow's teammates then earned him the win by scoring four times in the top of the 11th. Steve Pickering led off with a walk and was moved to second on a Rieth bunt. Finch recorded his second double of the game to give UR the lead.
After a Jack Herman single, Tyler Schmidt lined a double to right center, making it 7-4 Rochester. Schmidt the completed the four-run inning by scoring on a Thoroughbred wild pitch.
In the bottom of the inning, Skidmore mounted a rally with two-outs, notching two singles, but Renslow escaped the jam and closed out the victory.
Luke Meyerson started on the mound for the Yellowjackets and tossed five innings on Saturday, yielding 5 hits, 1 run and 2 walks while striking out 5. Kevin Ho then threw 2.1 innings of relief on Sunday before Renslow took over. The sophomore hurler earned his first win of the season, giving up three hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. He also struck out three.
Rochester's game two starter was Jack Denzer, and he turned in his second straight stellar start. The junior righty tossed a seven-inning complete game and gave up 7 hits, 2 runs, none earned and two walks while striking out 4.
Craig got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning, driving in sophomore classmate Kyle Trombley in a single to center.
Skidmore took its first lead of the weekend in the top of the third when two runs touched home plate after a fielding error in left field.
The Yellowjackets evened up the game in the next half inning though, when Finch recorded his team high 29th RBI of the year.
UR's eventual winning run scored in the fourth when Ryland McNabb scored on a double-play. In the sixth, Pickering singled to right for a key Yellowjackets insurance run.
Rochester has one final non-conference matchup scheduled for Tuesday at Brockport before a home-and-home series next weekend with RIT concludes the regular season.