PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Playing in the programs first-ever NCAA Division III playoff game on its home field, the University of Rochester baseball team was defeated 10-5 by visiting Middlebury College in the Rochester Regional at Towers Field on Friday afternoon.
Rochester (31-12) now will be forced to play out of the losers bracket in the four-team double-elimination regional, taking on Swarthmore College on Saturday at 11 am. Middlebury (30-12), by virtue of its win, will play the regions top-seed Eastern Connecticut State at 2:30 pm on Saturday afternoon in a winners bracket contest.
Middlebury used a big fourth inning, scoring four runs, all of which were unearned to grab the lead for good, capitalizing on one of four Yellowjacket errors in the game.
"We didn't take care of the baseball today, which forced our pitching staff to throw more pitches than they had to," said head coach Joe Reina after the game.
Overall, Rochester yielded five unearned runs in the game.
"When you face an offense like Middlebury, they make you pay, especially this late in the year," emphasized Reina.
Rochester was able to get the scoring started in the opening inning, benefitting from the lone Middlebury defensive miscue of the game. Josh Leadem struck out with two outs and a runner on third, but the pitch was in the dirt and the throw down to first went awry, allowing leadoff hitter Aaron Whitley to score.
In the second, Middlebury grabbed the lead with three straight two-out singles, with Andrew Ashley and Nathan Samii providing RBI hits.
The Yellowjackets responded right away, going up 3-2 after Dan Tirabassi lifted a 2-out, 2-run home run to left in bottom of the second. The home run was the first of the sophomore's career.
Rochester starter Nolan Sparks threw up back-to-back zeros against the Middlebury offense in the next two innings, but the Yellowjackets were unable to add to the lead and the score remained 3-2.
"Early on the fastball was working, the arm felt great," said Sparks. "The key was trying to get them off timing using my slider.
The sophomore right-hander finished his outing giving up five runs, but just one of which was earned while walking three and striking out two. He scattered five hits in his 4.2 inning outing.
In the fifth, Sparks got two ground balls to start the frame, but only one out was made and the fielding error to allow Beau Root to reach came back to bite the Yellowjackets.
A walk and RBI single from John Collins tied the score, but the second out of the inning was made when Collins was thrown out trying to steal second by catcher John Moses.
"I was trying to mix up my timing as much as possible," explained Sparks when talking about Middlebury's Division III leading stolen base total. "John Moses threw a couple guys out for us, which helped out in key spots."
The caught stealing should have been the third out of the inning, but the inning continued. Sparks issued another walk and was pulled from the game for Thomas Karpishin.
Karpishin uncorked a wild pitch to start his outing, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Another walk and a Sammy Smith two-run triple gave the Panthers a 6-3 advantage.
Smith again delivered a run-scoring hit for Middlebury in the seventh, lining a single to left center scoring Collins who led off the inning with a triple.
Rochester tried to get back into the game in the eighth with a two-out rally. After a Luke Piontek walk, senior Joseph Rende smacked his sixth home run of the season to right, cutting the Rochester deficit to two.
After a pitching change, the next two batters, Jacob Matzat and John Moses both reached with singles to left, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in Tirabassi. Reina elected to pinch hit for Tirabassi with Colby Cruser, but Panther closer George Goldstein settled in after the opening two singles to his outing, getting a big strikeout to end the threat.
The Panthers added three more to their total in the ninth, responding right away to reach a 10-5 lead. Jack Stolper had the big hit on the inning, lining a 2-run home run over the center field fence. Ashley picked up his second RBI of the game with a single to left.
In the ninth, Rochester went down in order, sending the Yellowjackets home with a loss in their opening game of the postseason.
Smith finished 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI for Middlebury, while three others, Collins, Stolper and Ashley each had two hits. Stolper had two runs and two RBI while Alec Ritch also scored twice for the Panthers.
Rochester's Whitley finished 4-for-5 with a run and stolen base. Rende was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and the home run, while Tirabassi ended 1-for-3. Moses added two hits and scored a run for Rochester.
On the mound for Middlebury, Alex Price settled in after a rocky first couple innings to go six innings in earning the win. He allowed seven hits and three runs (2 earned) while walking none and striking out seven. Goldstein pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and striking out one, to pick up his sixth save of the season.