PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX — The University of Rochester baseball team punched its ticket to the Liberty League Crossover Series with a dominating, 19-3, win over St. Lawrence University on Tuesday afternoon at Towers Field.
 
Making up a postponed game from April 5, the Yellowjackets played as the visiting team, and in the run-rule shortened seven-inning game, UR scored 19 runs on 23 hits, led by senior Alexander Gonzalo's two home runs and two doubles. The senior finished with four runs scored and four RBI in his final game at Towers Field.
 
The 'Jackets scored first with a three-run top of the second inning, as Gonzalo got Rochester's offense started with the first of two solo home runs. Following Gonzalo's leadoff homer, Josh Leadem doubled and Benjamin Garber legged out an infield single to bring up Luke Gregory, who made it a 2-0 lead with an RBI single to center. A better later, Jack Corcoran extended the Yellowjackets' lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to right.
 
After tacking on another run in the fourth and three runs in the fifth, two coming on solo shots by Sammy Besztery and Gonzalo, Rochester would put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, where a collection of nine hits produced eleven runs in an offensive outburst.
 
Following a two-run double by Gonzalo that made it 9-2, Garber scorched a bases-clearing double to deep right center, putting the Jackets up 12-2. While a pair of two-run singles by Corcoran and Leadem all but clinched a position for the Yellowjackets in this weekend's playoff tournament.
 
First year Andrew Lenhard started the game for Rochester, giving up two runs, and just one earned, over four solid innings to get the win. After navigating some traffic on the bases in the first inning, Lenhard was able to quickly work through the SLU order in the second and third innings.
 
St. Lawrence put up two runs in the fourth, helped out by two Rochester errors. Brett Federico drove a single through the right side to lead off the inning, advancing to third on an error. Daniel Verrastro hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the first run, and a pair of singles by Jack Finnegan and Eoin Morrissey brought home the second run.
 
Senior Timothy Connor got the start for the Saints, giving up seven runs over his 4.1 innings of work. He was chased in the fifth after home runs by Besztery and Gonzalo, giving way to a series of four pitchers, who finished out the game for St. Lawrence.
 
Colby Cruser moved from the DH position to relieve Lenhard after a single by Nolan Widrick in the fifth, and finished his two innings of work without giving up a hit.
 
Before the start of the seventh, lightning in the area caused an hour delay, but the fans that remained were able to celebrate the Yellowjackets' win. Leadem – who himself was a home run shy of the cycle and had two stolen bases – came in to close out the game for Rochester, holding the Saints to one run in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The weather was a constant story before and throughout the game, as the game's original start time of 5:00 p.m. was moved up three hours to avoid serious thunderstorms later in the afternoon. In addition to the lightning, the wind was whipping from left to right field, but not strong enough to dampen Rochester's power, as all three of the 'Jackets' home runs sailed over the left field wall.
 
Rochester moves to 16-15 (10-8 LL) with the win, while the Saints fall to 11-23 (6-11 LL) with the loss.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets will play Liberty League Eastern Division Champions Skidmore in the Liberty League Crossover Series, with in game one scheduled for Friday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m. Traveling to Saratoga Springs, NY, the 'Jackets hope to duplicate last year's result, where they knocked off Thoroughbreds in the three-game series to advance to the Liberty League Tournament.