SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY- After host Skidmore College put up eight runs in the first inning of game two on Saturday, the University of Rochester baseball team was staring at Liberty League doubleheader sweep.
But the Yellowjacket bats responded, smashing out 21 hits and scoring 20 runs, in a 20-9 come from behind victory to earn a split conference day with the Thoroughbreds who won game one by a 3-2 score.
Rochester (21-14, 14-8 Liberty League) got a UR record six runs scored from sophomore leadoff hitter
Matt Todd in game two while
Josh Ludwig knocked in a career high five runs in the game two victory. Seniors
Ethan Sander and
Tyler DeClerck also had career days in the second game slugfest. Sander was 4-5 with 4 RBI and 5 runs (both career highs) while DeClerck had two hits and had a career high four RBI.
Sophomore
Lance Hamilton kept his hot streak going with a 4-7 game along with driving in three runs while freshman
Brandon Heinrich was 3-5 and scored three times for Rochester.
The Thoroughbreds (9-19, 3-13 Liberty League) responded to UR getting four in the top of the first, by plating eight runs of their own in the first inning of the night cap. After the first though, UR's bullpen was able to hold host Skidmore to one run the rest of the game, mostly because of the arm of sophomore pitcher
Andrew Crean. Crean threw 6.1 innings of relief, allowed seven hits, one run (unearned) while walking one and striking out two.
In game one, Hamilton got things started for the Yellowjackets, recording a sac fly in the first inning, putting visiting UR up 1-0. The sophomore has an RBI in four straight games, while driving in a total of 11 runs in that span.
Skidmore would tack on a run to tie the score in the bottom of the inning after Marco Baratta lined a single to left field, scoring Mat Marino.
In the second, the Thoroughbreds would add another, as Marino doubled in Daniel Dasgupta. UR would avoid further damage on the play as Nick Barra was hosed at the plate left fielder
Sam Slutsky.
The lead would become 3-1 in the fifth Dasgupta and Josh Brown executed the 1st and 3rd double steal play, scoring an unearned run and the eventual winning run off UR starter
Dan Warren. Warren tossed a complete game, allowing seven hits, three runs (2 earned), while walking three and striking out five. He is 3-2 on the season.
DeClerck would get Rochester a run in the fifth, driving in Todd, but the Skidmore bullpen held strong over the next two frames for the win, snapping UR's five game win streak entering the day.
The same two teams meet on Sunday in another doubleheader, closing the conference schedule for the Yellowjackets. First pitch is slated for 12 pm.
