PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX - After being on the wrong side of a sweep last weekend, the University of Rochester baseball team looked to right the ship in the final two games of a three-game series against Elmira College. The Yellowjackets defeated the Soaring Eagles in Game 1 yesterday by a final score of 10-5.
 
Rochester got off to a strong start in the first game. Starting pitcher Jon Turk got each of the first three Elmira hitters to ground out, getting out of the first inning on just nine pitches. UR would jump out to an early lead in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on second and third, Jack Herman flew out to center to drive in Jake Hertz to put the Yellowjackets up 1-0. Scott Pickering would later come around to score on an infield single by Kyle Trombley to make it 2-0 at the end of the first.
 
The Yellowjackets would blow the score wide open in the bottom of the second. Corey Ziring struck out with runners on two runners in scoring position, but a wild pitch allowed him to reach first base safely and Jacob Matzat would come around to score. Joseph Rende would also cross home safely after a failed pick-off attempt of Ziring went way down the right field line. Hertz would bring Ziring home after single to centerfield. With still no one out in the inning, Herman launched one deep into the right center gap for an easy triple and driving in Hertz and Pickering to make it 7-0. Herman would score on a single by Aiden Finch. Finch would later score on a throwing error. UR sent 11 men to the plate in the bottom of the second, totally for 7 runs in the inning.
 
After scoreless innings by both teams in the third, fourth, and fifth, UR continued to add on in the bottom of the sixth. Matzat drove in Finch and Trombley on a single to center. Harper Sy would join in on the scoring after crossing home on a wild pitch.
 
In the seven-inning game 1, Rochester came out victorious by a final score of 12-0. Turk pitched a complete game for the Yellowjackets and picked up his first win of the season. Every UR batter crossed home at least once in the first game.
 
Rochester would start the second game off just like the first one. Finch flew out to deep left to drive in Matzat. Trombley would reach first safely after beating a ground ball to third, allowing Herman to make it 2-0 at the end of the first.
 
It would not be a shutout for long, as an Elmira single in the top of the second made it a 2-1 ballgame.
 
Rochester would build on their lead in the bottom half of the third and fourth inning. Trombley hit a sac-fly to right to drive in Herman in the third, and Hertz's single in the fourth drove in Brian McKinsey to make it 4-1 through four innings.
 
The Soaring Eagles would start to make a comeback in the top of the fifth after a sacrifice bunt made it 4-2. Elmira would tie the game in the top of the seventh on a two-run single to right.
 
The tie would not last long, as Finch drove in the final run of the game in the bottom half of the inning on a single to left to make it 5-4.
 
Starter Kevin Ho went 6.2 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and striking out 1 Elmira batter. Nathan Slenska picked up the win after just .1 innings pitched. Brendan Shamieh struck out two in one inning of work. Garrett Renslow registered three punch outs in the top of the ninth to pick up the save for the Yellowjackets.
 
Herman led the way for UR Rochester in the second game, finishing 3-4 at the plate with 3 runs scored. Finch and Trombley each finished with a pair of RBIs.
 
The Yellowjackets will head out on the road next Saturday to face crosstown opponent RIT in a double-header to open up Liberty League play.