HIGH POINT, NC – The University of Rochester baseball team started out its spring break trip down south with a pair of games on Friday afternoon, falling 9-2 to Adrian College and 9-5 to host Greensboro College at Rockers Stadium.
 
Both of the games were a part of the Greensboro Triad Invitational featuring Rochester, Adrian, Greensboro and Maryville College. UR's 3-game weekend will wrap up on Sunday with an 11 am matchup against Maryville.
 
The two losses drop Rochester to 2-3 on the young season.
 
Game 1: Adrian 9, Rochester 2
The Bulldogs (5-4) used a pair of big innings to power their offense, giving them their second win in as many days at the Triad Invite.
 
In the opening frame, the Yellowjackets threatened with three singles, including back-to-back to lead off by Jackson Reed and Sammy Besztery. On Besztery's single to right, Adrian was able to gun down Reed at third though, stopping the early chance. After a strikeout, Alexander Gonzalo reached on an infield hit, but both runners were stranded.
 
The next inning, Rochester was able to take an early 1-0 lead, plating a run following a Matt Rieth infield blooper down the first base line. His base hit scored Quincy Jaksch who had reached on a single to lead off.
 
UR's defense let down starting pitcher Nolan Sparks in the third, as Adrian scored five times, all unearned due to four errors, including three to start the inning. Jakob Charles, Edward Wagner and Joe Casale all had RBI hits for the Bulldogs in the inning.
 
Sparks finished the day going 4.1 innings. He only yielded two hits, but surrendered five runs (0 earned) with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
The score remained 5-1 until the sixth inning when Rochester's Dylan Stezzi produced a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Alec Ellison who reached with a double. Jaksch added a base hit and Robert Constantine walked to put the tying run at the plate, but a strikeout ended the inning with just the one run crossing home.
 
Adrian boosted the lead by four with one swing of the bat in the seventh inning. AJ Miranda cleared the left center field fence with the bases loaded to make the score 9-2. The inning was kept alive by a long 2-out at-bat by Wagner just before the home run, with a walk being drawn on the tenth pitch of his plate appearance.
 
In the ninth, Rochester loaded the bases when Stezzi singles, Luke Blozy doubles and Reed walked, but reliever Ryan Davis struck out the final two batters to end the game.
 
Both Jaksch and Gonzalo finished with multiple hits for UR in the game, each going 2-for-4.
 
Game 2: Greensboro 9, Rochester 5
During the nightcap, Greensboro was able to get the bases in the bottom of the second inning, but starter Colby Cruser escaped with no damage, getting a fielders choice out at home and two strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.
 
For the second straight game, Rochester again scored first, with a Greensboro error leading to Ethan Jaquette scampering home in the third inning.
 
The Pride (10-4) answered right back though, plating two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead. Three straight singles to open the inning scored the first run, with SSSSS Diekman singling in the second run with a two-out knock for Greensboro.
 
Rochester leveled the score in the fifth. Besztery walked and stole second with two outs before Constantine was able to lace a single to center to move the score to 2-2.
 
Once again, Greensboro answered back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth. EEEE Sykes had an RBI triple, with UR allowing the other two runs to score via wild pitch and balk.
 
Three runs came across in the sixth for the Price, with BBBBB Gardner and NNNN Marshall providing the pop. Gardner's hit was a two-bagger to right center, while Marshall followed with a home run to right, making the score 8-2.
 
The Yellowjackets cut the lead in half during the seventh inning, with five hits leading to three runs. Stezzi, Blozy and Jaquette each singled to load the bases. Besztery was hit by a pitch to drive in a run, while Constantine followed with a fielders choice for another RBI. Reed singled to score the third run of the frame for UR, making the score 8-5.
 
Greensboro closed out the scoring in the bottom of the eighth with Marshall picking up his fourth hit and third RBI of the day, lining a single to center.
 
Rochester's leading hitter was Reed who went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Constantine drove in a pair of runs, while Jaquette score twice for the Yellowjackets.
 
On the mound, Cruser struck out six in his outing that lasted 4.1 innings. He allowed seven hits and three runs.