A nine-day layoff was evident with the bats as Rochester dropped a 5-3 decision to RIT at Towers Field on Tuesday afternoon.

The Yellowjackets managed six hits and could not get even. Rochester is 28-10 heading into the Liberty League championship tournament this weekend at Towers Field. RIT is 18-19.

Six of the eight runs came on home runs. Dan Kernan and Ed Hughes hit two-run shots for RIT. Kernan finished with three RBIs and two hits. He had a run-scoring single in the ninth after Rochester closed to within 4-3.

Andy Cannon provided some offensive punch for the Yellowjackets. He drove in three runs - two coming on a home run to left in the eighth inning.

Down 2-0, the Yellowjackets nicked RIT for a run in the fifth. Rob Barnard singled. Casey Storme's sac bunt was thrown away, putting Barnard on third and Storme on second. After a Brian Bezek groundout (with the runners holding), Cannon hit a bouncer to short. Barnard scored. Storme got caught in a rundown, eventually getting caught 6-5-4. Alex Caghan forced Cannnon at second to end the inning.

Hughes hit a two-run shot in the eighth off Ned Chanatry. Rochester answered in its half. Bezek reached on a bad throw and Cannon homered to left. After Caghan struck out, Nate Stein singled to left. Jeff Bibbens was relieved for RIT by Chrles Yarrington. Steve Just hit a long fly to center on an 0-2 pitch that turned centerfielder Kreag Bradley in two directions before he leaped to make a nice catch shy of the wall.