SANFORD, FL – After managing only seven baserunners through the first eight innings, Rochester's offense came alive in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't enough. Case Western Reserve parlayed an early 7-0 lead into a 7-4 victory over the Yellowjackets.
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The defeat snapped Rochester's three-game winning streak in the UAA Championship Tournament in Florida. The Yellowjackets finished 4-4 as they head north. Case is 8-7 overall, 5-3 in the UAA.
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Jake Meyerson and Dan Warren both had two hits apiece for Rochester. The big blow was a grand slam home run by Aiden Finch in the ninth. It turned it into a ballgame and it unnerved CWRU reliever Nate Glasser. He walked Mark Davis, the next batter, and was promptly replaced by Liam Killingstad. Matt Todd tried to bunt his way on to bring the potential tying run to the plate, but Killingstad threw him out at first to end the game.
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Warren took the loss for the Yellowjackets. In two innings (he started and was the DH), he gave up six hits and five runs (three were earned). Andrew Klee allowed two earned runs and four hits over the next two innings. After that, Tyler McConway (three innings of one-hit, two-walk ball) and Kevin Ho (one perfect inning) shut down the Spartans.
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Preston Williams got the win for CWRU (2-0). He allowed five hits, one walk, and struck out four in seven innings of work. Glasser was fine in the eighth (1-2-3), but ran into trouble in the ninth.
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Meyerson singled to left. Andrew Crean pinch-hit for Warren and struck out. Ryan Spurr lined to third. Greg Obregon singled to left, moving Meyerson to second. Jack Herman walked, loading the bases. The count ran to 2-2 on Finch who fouled off the fifth pitch. The sixth one he hit over the left field fence. Davis walked, Glasser departed, and Killingstad came in to get the save.
