PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – A ninth inning bases loaded hit-by-pitch proved the be the difference as the University of Rochester baseball team defeated Alfred State 6-5 on Wednesday evening at UR's Towers Field.
 
Sophomore Ethan Jaquette took the bean ball in the arm with the bases loaded to plate the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Yellowjackets (5-6) to its fourth straight win during their current 10-game home stand.
 
In the game, UR led by as many as four runs, sitting up 4-0 through five innings, but some untimely fielding miscues led to Alfred State taking a lead in the eighth.

The 'Jackets responded with a single run in the eighth and then notched the winning run on Jaquette's HBP in the final inning.
 
Alfred State falls to 10-7 with the loss.
 
UR started out strong, getting a run in the opening frame. With one out, Sammy Besztery doubled to left and advanced to third on a passed ball. Senior Colby Cruser drove him in shortly after with an RBI ground out.
 
Rochester's lead remained one until the bottom of the fourth when Sammy Smith tripled to right center and was brought in when Matt Rieth reached on an infield single, with the ball being a dribbler hit to no mans land between the pitcher and third baseman.
 
The Yellowjackets tacked on two more in the bottom of the next inning, both with two outs. Cruser started the rally with a single, and a walk and hit batter loaded the bases. Luke Gregory forced in a run with the bases loaded and a wild pitch plated the second run of the frame.
 
Alfred State started its rally in the sixth, scoring twice, but reliever Zach Herzog came in and got a huge strikeout with the bases loaded to strand the go-ahead runner on base.
 
The visiting Pioneers followed in the eighth inning with three runs on three hits and a key 'Jacket throwing error to take a 5-4 lead. A bases loaded hit-by-pitch drawn by Joshua Gardner allowed one run to score, and Connor Kiefer followed with a 2-run RBI single up the middle.
 
Rochester tied it in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI fielder's choice by Besztery, scoring pinch-runner Nathan Carpenter-Holmes.
 
UR's Jake Del Vecchio pitched around a 1-out single in the top of the ninth to keep the game tied, allowing the 'Jackets picked up their second walk-off win of the season in the bottom half of the inning.
 
With one out, Gregory doubled to left, putting the winning run in scoring position. After a pitching change, Smith was intentionally walked to set up a double-play opportunity and force play.
 
A strikeout proved to be the second out of the inning before Jake Goldberg laced a hard hit ball off the glove Alfred State's leaping third baseman.
 
On the play, Gregory took a hard turn around third, but was able to scamper back to the bag before getting tagged out on the play, as the ball never got through the infield.
 
With the bases loaded, Jaquette took one for the team and won it for the 'Jackets.
 
At the plate, Cruser finished as the leading hitter for Rochester, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Gregory was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
 
On the mound, Mark Aaronson got the start and allowed just one hit over two scoreless innings. Andrew Lenhard followed with two scoreless innings, striking out a pair.
 
Derek Llanes and Herzog combined to surrender the five runs, only three of which were earned before Del Vecchio's scoreless ninth inning netted him the victory.
 
Rochester remains home this weekend for a series against Clarkson with one game on Friday and a doubleheader Saturday. Those games will be the Liberty League conference opener for both teams.