PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – For the third time this season, Rochester coaxed home a run in its final at-bat to secure a baseball victory. This time, it was a 5-4 decision over Alfred State College and it gave the Yellowjackets a split of a doubleheader on Towers Field Wednesday afternoon.
 
Alfred State won the opener, 8-5, taking advantage of some Rochester miscues (three errors led to four unearned runs in the fifth).  The Pioneers led early. UR fought back to a 2-2 tie before the guests pulled away, then tacked on two late runs for the final.
 
In game two, Rochester led early. ASC tied it at 2-2. Rochester went up, 3-2, before ASC scored two for a 4-3 lead. The Yellowjackets tied it at 4-4 in the sixth, then won it in the seventh.
 
Rochester is 6-3 heading into this weekend's Liberty League openers against RIT. The Yellowjackets will play in Henrietta on Friday (moved ahead from Sunday due to weather predictions) and will host the Tigers on Saturday (1 pm and 3 pm). Alfred State is 7-9 overall.
 
The game one win was the sixth in a row for ASC. The Pioneers won their opener, then lost eight straight before seizing five straight victories coming into Towers Field.
 
Game One:
Tim Holler slammed a two-run home run as the second hitter of the game. After two outs, ASC loaded the bases but Dillon Bevan worked out of it, getting Owen Lansing to pop out. UR evened it in the fourth. Brian McKinsey singled and one out later, Jacob Matzat lined a two-run home run to left center.

 
Alfred State took a 6-2 lead in the fifth with three hits and three UR errors. Josh Leadem singled in the UR fifth, stole two bases and scored on McKinsey's single to left.  In the sixth, John Moses doubled, took third on a passed ball, and scored on Jackson Reed's home run. In the bottom of the seventh, the Yellowjackets had a chance to move in front. With one down, Joseph Rende was hit by a pitch. He stole second. Matzat walked on a full count. A wild pitch moved both runners to second and third. ASC reliever AJ Gartland earned a strikeout. Moses was walked intentionally to load the bases. The strategy worked as Aidan Shea flied out, ending the inning.
 
The Pioneers went up, 75, on Connor Pingitore's home run to left. They made it 8-5 in the ninth on a double by Holler, a stolen base, and a single by Matteo Avellone.
 
For Rochester, McKinsey had two hits as did Moses (who clouted two doubles). Bevan, the first of three pitchers, worked 4.1 innings, giving up six hits, five runs (two were earned), walked three and fanned three. Nathan Slenska allowed one hit in 1.2 innings, one unearned run, and walked one. Luke Boylan finished up – three hits, two runs, two walks, and one strikeout.
 
Game Two:
Rochester made some key plays in the field and took advantage of a dropped ball in the seventh inning to emerge with the win. The Yellowjackets used seven pitchers. Spencer Rojahn picked up the win as he worked the seventh inning – one hit allowed.
 
It went back and forth. Jackson Reed and Rende singled. A wild pitch moved them up. Matzat's grounder forced them to hold, but Steve Pickering  singled through the right side scoring Reed. A double steal resulted in Rende swiping home.
 
ASC scored an unearned run in tht seond, then tied it in the fourth on back to back doubles. In the  ASC fourth, Thomas Karpishin gave up two hits and a pair of stolen bases. He bounced back to earn a strikeout, a lineout to center field, and an infield groundout. He was rewarded when Leadem reached on an HBP, was bunted to second by Reed, and took third on Rende's flyout to enter. Matzat doubled down the third base line to put UR in front.
 
It wasn't over. Alfred State scored a pair of runs in the sixth, using a hit, a walk, and a couple of wild pitches. The Pioneers led, 4-3. Rochester tied it on a sac fly by pinch-hitter Harper Sy. It scored pinch-runner Quincy Jaksch. Moses doubled and Jaksch ran for him.
 
In the seventh, Reed flied out. Rende singled up the middle. He stole second. Matzat walked and Dan Tirabassi ran for him. Pickering grounded to first base. ASC tried for a 3-6-3 double play, but the throw to second was dropped and left the bases loaded. That brought up pinch hitter Aaron Whitley, On an 0-1 pitch, he  lofted the ball to medium right field. Rende charged home with the gamewinner.