PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester baseball team dropped a 7-5, 11-inning affair to visiting Ithaca College on Sunday afternoon in a key early season Liberty League matchup.

The Bombers (10-7, 2-1 Liberty League), pick up the series win between two of the top teams in the Liberty League West Division, after the schools battled to a split doubleheader at Ithaca on Friday afternoon. Rochester falls to 8-7, 1-2 Liberty League on the season, dropping two straight for the first time in 2023.

Despite high winds at Towers Field, both teams bats were mostly held in check for the better part of the afternoon. The score was tied 3-3 after nine inning, with Ithaca scoring twice in the top of the 10th.

Rochester responded with a pair of runs in the 10th to stay alive, with Ithaca's Ethan Rothstein providing the game-winning hit in the top of the 11th, clearing the right field fence with his second home run of the day.

Ithaca got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first inning off of UR starter Dillon Bevan. Connor Pedersen laced a triple to left, scoring Garrett Callaghan and Louis Fabbo.

Bevan settled in after the first, not allowing a hit the rest of his outing, which lasted into the sixth inning. Overall, the junior right-hander tossed 5.1 innings, allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and struck out 3.

Rochester was able to tie the score with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, both of which were unearned against Ithaca starter Garrett Bell. A two-out error on a Jackson Reed grounder kept the inning alive, with Colton Avera lining a single to left to put two runners on.

Aaron Whitley ripped a single to right to score Reed and move Avera to third. Before the next hitter, Whitley was picked off, but moved to second with the help of another Bomber miscue defensively, allowing Avera to score and tie the game.

On the mound, Bell finished with a similar line to his fellow starter, tossing 5.1 innings, surrendering 4 hits, 2 runs (0 earned) with 3 strikeouts.

Rochester threatened to take the lead in the sixth, getting the bases loaded with just one out, but relief pitcher Matt Chase got two big fly outs to escape with no damage. Reed, Avera and Whitley all singled in the inning, but were stranded on the pond.

The Yellowjackets edged in front in the seventh with Josh Leadem launching a solo home run to left center, putting the home team in front 3-2. It was the junior outfielder's second long ball of the season.

Ithaca answered in the eighth when Rothstein led off the inning with his first homer of the day, clearing the fence aided by a gusty breeze which was blowing out to right field for the majority of the game.

The home run was the lone blemish on the line of reliever Thomas Karpishin who otherwise pitched great out the bullpen for Rochester, tossing 2.1 innings with three strikeouts.

UR nearly won the game in regulation in the bottom of the ninth. Jacob Matzat lined a 1-out double to right center to put the winning run in scoring position. Dylan Stezzi pinch-ran and Leadem was intentionally walked to set up a force play.

That decision proved big, as Joseph Rende grounded to first and the Bombers tried to turn two, getting Leadem out at second. The throw back to first got away at first base but bounced off the dugout fence and went right to first baseman Ryan Laubscher who scooped it up and fired home, beating the sprinting Stezzi to the plate for the unconventional double play to end the inning.

The tenth inning saw pinch-hitter Matt Curtis play hero for Ithaca, lining a 2-out, 2-run single to right, putting the Bombers out in front 5-3.

Rochester stayed alive with two more unearned runs in the bottom of the frame. After Colby Cruser singled and Reed walked to put two runners on, Avera struck out for the first out.

Whitley followed with a grounder up the middle, with the second baseman misplaying the ball, allowing all runners to be safe and a run to score.

A double-steal followed, putting runners at second and third with one out. John Moses then lifted a fly ball to right, with the wind carrying it deep enough for a sacrifice fly, leveling the score at 5-5.

Reliever Landon White (1-0) got a strikeout to end the inning and strand the winning run at third. He would finish off the game in the 11th, picking up his first win of the season.

Rothstein's second homer of the day highlighted the 2-run, 11th inning for Ithaca and came off of Mark Aaronson (1-1) who suffered his first defeat of the 2023 campaign. Aaronson produced two strikeouts of the ten secured by Rochester pitchers on the day.

Closing out the game, White hit Leadem for the third time on the day to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning. Rende followed by hitting another grounder that Ithaca fielded cleanly this time, getting a 3-6 double-play to finish off the win.

Rochester is back in action on Wednesday afternoon at 4 pm with a non-league matchup against St. John Fisher.