PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – After falling in game one, 12-9, the University of Rochester baseball bounced back to take game two against the RIT Tigers, 6-5, walking things off on Henry Jamieson's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the No. 2 seed and home field advantage in next weekend's Liberty League Crossover series.
 
With the doubleheader split, Rochester moves to 17-15 (10-5 LL) on the year, while the Tigers now sit at 14-18 (8-7 LL).
 
GAME ONE: RIT 12, Rochester 9
Dillon Bevan got the Senior Day start for the Yellowjackets, and after the senior set down the Tigers in order in the top of the first, Rochester jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the frame.
 
Josh Leadem drew a one-out hit-by-pitch, and just two pitches later, Colby Cruser ripped an RBI double to left center, giving Rochester a 1-0 lead. Then after an infield single by Alec Ellison, Dylan Stezzi hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Cruser to extend UR's lead to 2-0.
 
Kyle Poorman would pick up the Tigers' first hit in the top of the second, doubling down the left-field line, but Bevan worked around the one-out baserunner, striking out John Bagley to keep Rochester in front, 2-0.
 
However, in the top of the third, Adam Marsh tied the game with one swing of the bat, blasting a two-run home to center to even the score at two-all.
 
Rochester would respond in the bottom of the frame, putting runners on the corners with nobody out and retaking the lead on Ellison's groundout. But the Tigers turned two on the ground ball and then retired the next batter to keep the Yellowjackets from adding more.
 
And then in the top of the fourth, RIT struck for four runs on three hits, tying the score at three on Gil Merod's RBI single before Sam Kulp cleared the bases with the Tigers' second home run of the afternoon, this one a three-run blast to give RIT a 6-3 headed to the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Yellowjackets would get two back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases on Luke Gregory's leadoff walk, Sammy Besztery's single and a fielder's choice. Jack Corcoran made it 6-4 with a sacrifice fly to right, and after the Tigers made a pitching change, Jackson Reed brought home another run with another sacrifice fly to pull UR within a run.
 
Both teams then went scoreless in the fifth, one of just two innings neither team pushed a run across, as Sammy Rosenfield struck out the side in the top of the frame, but UR went down in order in the bottom of the stanza.
 
Rosenfield then worked around a leadoff baserunner in the top of the sixth, allowing UR to tie things up in the bottom of the frame. Gregory singled down the third-base line to lead things off and took second on Besztery's sacrifice bunt before Quincy Jaksch punched an RBI single just out of the third baseman's reach down the left-field line, tying the score at six-all. A walk and a sacrifice bunt pushed the runners to second and third, but Luc Rising got a groundout to end the threat and keep the score tied at six.
 
The Tigers though, quickly retook the lead in the top of the seventh inning. A fielding error allowed Jarin Moses to reach base, and RIT took advantage. A batter later, Poorman launched an RBI triple to center, giving RIT a 7-6 lead, and Charlie Slaymaker then singled to center to bring home another run. The Tigers looked to add another on Bagley's single to right, but Leadem threw out Slaymaker trying to score from second, keeping the Tigers' lead at just two.
 
Holding RIT to just two runs would prove to be huge, as two batters after Cruser led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple to right center, Gregory blasted a two-out, two-run shot to left, once again tying the score, this time at 8-8.
 
And after Jack Subramanian worked a 1-2-3 eighth, the Yellowjackets scored again to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Jaksch got the inning started with a single to center and took second on Ethan Jaquette's groundout. Next up, Reed slashed an RBI single through the right side, scoring Jaksch to give Rochester a 9-8 lead, its first since the third inning.
 
However, with a chance to close things out, the Tigers scored four runs in the top of the ninth, retaking the lead against a trio of UR relievers. A leadoff walk by Marsh forced a call to the bullpen, and though Aaronson struck out the next batter, a single and a walk loaded the bases for Slaymaker, who drew a hit-by-pitch to level the score at nine-all.
 
A sacrifice fly gave RIT the lead, 10-9, and after another hit-by-pitch, the 'Jackets made another pitching change, bringing in Thomas Blayes. However, the Tigers would tack on two more on Kulp's two-run single, and though Ellison beat on an infield single to lead off the bottom of the ninth, Rising retired the next three Yellowjackets to close the door on the 12-9 victory.
 
Rising (2-1) earned the win for RIT, allowing four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out two over 5.2 innings pitched, while Aaronson (3-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on one hit, one walk and one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning of relief.
 
At the plate, Gregory went 2-for-4 with a home run, walk, three runs scored and two RBI, while Cruser went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two runs scored and an RBI.

 
Reed also drove in a pair, going 1-for-3 with two driven in, while Ellison and Jaksch each tallied two hits, with Jaksch adding a run scored and an RBI.
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 6, RIT 5
Aaronson retook the hill after taking the loss in game one, and quickly brushed off his game one woes, working around a leadoff walk to set down the Tigers in the top of the first.
 
John Arnold then looked to do the same in the bottom of the inning, but a Stezzi followed a two-out single by Cruser with his first of two home runs on the day, this one a majestic, two-run blast to dead center, to give Rochester a 2-0 lead.
 
Two Tigers would reach in the top of the second on an error and catcher's interference, but Aaronson masterfully worked out of the game, getting a 6-4-3 double play and another groundout to get out of the inning unscathed.
 
In the bottom of the third, Stezzi socked another, this time a solo homer to left center, extending UR's lead to 3-0.
 
Both starters settled down after the third, combining to allow just one baserunner in the fourth. In the top of the fifth, a leadoff single gave the Tigers their first hit of the game, and while Aaronson struck out the next two batters, Randy Dodig knocked through another single, sending Roberto Reade scampering toward home from second. However, Stezzi threw Reade out at home, ending the inning and keeping UR in front, 3-0.
 
In the top of the sixth though, the Tigers would finally push a run across taking advantage of another UR error. Singles from Marsh and Poorman put runners at the corners with two outs, and while Aaronson looked to get out of the jam with a groundball to third, a throwing error allowed a run to come into score, cutting Rochester's lead to 3-1.
 
Magnus Sivertson relieved Aaronson to start the seventh, and although the senior allowed a run on Marsh's RBI single, Sivertson got Moses to ground out to keep the 'Jackets in front by one.
 
Rochester would answer in the bottom of the inning, pushing a run across to make it 4-2. Reed drew a one-out walk and took second on Gregory's groundout to third. Up next, Cruser knocked in his second run of the day, singling through the right side to make it 4-2 in favor of the Yellowjackets.
 
But in the top of the eighth, Sivertson would run into some trouble, allowing a pair of walks before the 'Jackets made a pitching change. Zach Herzog relieved Sivertson, but just five pitches later, Reade gave the Tigers their first lead of game two with a three-run blast to left.
 
Now down 5-4, Herzog got out of the inning without allowing any more damage, and the 'Jackets went back to work in the bottom of the frame. Dan Tirabassi drew a hit-by-pitch to lead off the bottom of the eighth and was pinch-ran for by Jacquette. Jacquette took second on Jaksch's sacrifice bunt and third on Leadem's groundout, before Besztery came through with a clutch, RBI double, tying the score once again at 5-5.
 
Matt Casiero came on to pitch the top of the ninth, and though he allowed two runners to reach via a single and hit-by-pitch, the Yellowjackets turned two on a groundball to Jaksch, setting the stage for Jamieson's walk-off.
 
Reed led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, and quickly moved to second on Gregory's sacrifice bunt. With the game-winning run on second, the Tigers opted to intentionally walk Cruser to bring up Stezzi, who, down 0-2, drew a hit-by-pitch to load the bases for Jamieson.
 
Jamieson, making his first at-bat of the game after coming into play first in the top of the ninth, ripped a hard-hit single just off the glove of the third baseman, bringing in Reed to score to give Rochester the 6-5 victory.
 
Casiero (1-2) earned the win, allowing one hit over a scoreless frame, while Eric Sipling (2-5) took the loss for RIT, allowing two runs on two hits over 1.2 innings pitched.
 
Aaronson bounced back from a game-one defeat to take a no-decision, allowing just an unearned run on four hits, walking two and striking out five over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Stezzi turned in a big game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, a hit-by-pitch, two runs scored and three RBI, while Cruser went 2-for-4 with a walk, run scored and an RBI.
 
Rochester will next wrap up the regular season with a non-conference matchup at Oswego State on Tuesday, April 30 at 4:00 p.m.