ITHACA, NY – The University of Rochester baseball teams quest for a third straight Liberty League title came to an end at the hands of a powerful Ithaca College offense on Saturday, falling 18-5 to the Bombers in the final round of the Liberty League Tournament at Freeman Field.
 
Ithaca (30-12) pounded out 20 hits and scored 18 runs, one shy of its season high in claiming its first Liberty League tournament title since joining the league in the sport during the 2020 season. The Bombers claim the Liberty League's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament which starts next week.
 
With the loss, Rochester's record falls to 31-11. The Yellowjackets at-large NCAA postseason fate now rests in the hands of the Division III selection committee. Bids for the 62-team NCAA tournament will be announced early next week.
 
In Saturday's game, a taxed pitching staff from Rochester was going to be challenged after UR was forced to play three games in the prior two days, thanks in part to an 8-7 extra inning loss at the hands of the Bombers in Friday's winners bracket game.
 

Spencer Rojahn got the start for Rochester and lasted three innings on the mound. The senior scattered five hits, but only allowed two runs while walking one and striking out one. He took the loss but kept Rochester in the game, as the score was 2-1 Ithaca when he was removed from the game.
 
The Bombers got a pair of RBI doubles in the first and third innings to open the scoring. Tournament MVP Buzz Shirley drove in Louis Fabbo in the first, and Friday's walk-off hero, Matt Fabian provided the second run scoring double of the game to put Ithaca up 2-0 after three.
 
Rochester got on the board in the fourth, tallying a single run when Jacob Matzat grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, scoring Brian McKinsey. Ithaca happily traded the two outs for the run and escaped the jam with no further damage.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bombers offense exploded for ten runs to break open the game. IC had six hits, capitalized on key UR error, added three walks and two hit batters against the Yellowjacket bullpen in the frame.
 
After Ithaca tacked on another run in the fifth, the Yellowjackets got a pair of runs back in the sixth when seniors Luke Piontek and Matzat each drove in a run.
 
The Bombers answered right back in the bottom of the sixth with three additional runs, two coming on Nicholas Cutaia double.
 
Down the stretch, the teams traded two runs each across the final three innings.
 
Harper Sy finished the game 3-for-4 with a run, HBP and an RBI for the Yellowjackets, while Piontek was 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. Robert Constantine went 2-for-2 with 2 runs and a walk and McKinsey scored twice and was 1-for-3 with a walk and HBP.
 
Riley Brawdy pounded out four hits for Ithaca, going 2-for-6 with two runs. Shirley finished 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and 5 RBI. Five other Bomber players finished with multiple RBI's and all nine starters had at least one run scored.
 
Ithaca's Colin Leyner improved to 6-0 on the mound, going six innings while allowing 4 hits, 3 runs and 2 walks. He struck out three. Erislandy Rives and Brett Budzak finished up the game out of the Bomber bullpen.