SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The University of Rochester baseball team saw its season come to a close on Friday afternoon, falling twice to West Division top-seed Skidmore College in the Liberty League Crossover Series at Castle Diamond.
 
The host Thoroughbreds (20-15-2, 12-6 Liberty League) won game one 15-5 and then took the nightcap 5-1, securing their spot in the Liberty League Tournament next week. UR's two losses drop the Yellowjackets to 16-17 overall to end the 2025 season, finishing 10-10 in conference games.
 
Game 1: Skidmore 15, Rochester 5
The host Thoroughbreds dinked and dunked their way to an early lead, scrapping out four hits, all singles in the bottom of the first inning, eventually taking a 3-0 lead after the first inning. A UR error also aided in the scoring spurt for Skidmore in the first.
 
In the second, UR's Sammy Rosenfield struck out the side, but on the third out of the inning, a passed ball on the K allowed the inning to continue. That miscue proved costly, as the next batter, Zachary Leiderman blasted a two-run home run to left. Sam Kornet made it back-to-back homers, completing Skidmore's second straight three-run inning.
 
Skidmore tacked on two more runs in the third to boost the lead to 8-0 before Rochester halved the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring four times.
 
Jackson Reed and Sammy Besztery both singled to lead off the inning, with Colby Cruser providing an RBI ground out. An error put runners on second and third before Josh Leadem laced a single to right, scoring Besztery. Benjamin Garber followed with an RBI ground out and Luke Gregory completed the four-run inning with a run-scoring double.
 
The Thoroughbreds continued their scoring streak in the fourth, getting three runs right back in their half of the inning, boosting the lead back to seven, up 11-4.
 
In the fifth, Cruser singled and Besztery scored on an error on the play to get UR to its final run tally.
 
Skidmore's offensive onslaught continued in the sixth, scoring four more runs to reach a ten-run lead. After UR went scoreless in the seventh, the 10-run rule went into effect, closing out the game.
 
Offensively for UR, Leadem led the Yellowjackets, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Sammy Smith chipped in two hits.
 
Six Skidmore players finished with multiple hits in the win, led by Ewen Donald who went 4-for-4 with a double, 2 runs and 2 RBI. Leiderman finished 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, with Kornet finished 2-for-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI, including a homer.
 
On the mound, Rosenfield was tagged with the loss, allowing 10 hits and 8 runs (4 earned) over 2.2 innings. He struck out five. Sunil Lindsay and Mark Aaronson finished the game for UR.
 
Chase Siegel tossed a complete game, allowing 9 hits and 5 runs (1 earned) while striking out 4 for Skidmore.
 
Game 2: Skidmore 5, Rochester 1
The nightcap was a tale of missed opportunities for the Yellowjackets, as Rochester combined to lead 13 men on base over the nine innings. That included five innings with multiple runners left on, and two ending with the bases loaded.
 
In the second, UR threatened by getting the first two runners left on base, but Skidmore starter Quinn Hocom escaped the jam, getting a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.
 
The next inning, Rochester's inning featured a 2-out walk and single by Cruser and Leadem, but Hocom got another big strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
 
Skidmore then was able to push across the first run of the game in the bottom of the third when Trey Bourque singled to left, plating Nate Vandersea who led off with a single.
 
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when Rochester leveled the game on a Besztery grounder to short. An error on the play allowed Besztery to reach, and two more singled loaded the bases, but a double play kept the game tied, ending the scoring chance with just one run.
 
UR saw Skidmore take the lead right back though, with Leiderman providing a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth.
 
In the sixth, Rochester loaded the bases on three walks, chasing Hocom from the game. Reliever Charles Modlin came in during a huge spot and did his job, closing out the inning by getting a pop out and fielders choice ground out to keep Skidmore in front.
 
The momentum swung back in Skidmore's favor by escaping the jam, and that led to the Thoroughbreds piling on offensively, scoring three more runs to get to a 5-1 advantage. Vandersea doubled in two runs and Quinn McDonald added a sacrifice fly for the Thoroughbreds.
 
During the eighth, Rochester again loaded the bases on singles from Gregory, Matt Rieth and Reed, but Modlin again was up to the challenge, getting a lineout to maintain the four-run lead.
 
UR went down 1-2-3 in the ninth against Modlin, as he ended up picking up a 3.2 inning save. Hocom earned the win for Skidmore, tossing 5.1 innings to go along with six strikeouts and five walks. He allowed 5 hits and one run.
 
Rochester used two pitchers in the game as well, with Matt Casiero starting and going five innings. He allowed 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned) and 0 walks while striking out 2. Cruser finished off the game with three innings of work, surrendering 2 hits, 1 run and 2 walks, striking out 2.
 
At the plate, Leadem and Reed, UR's top-2 in career hits each finished with two base knocks in their final game in a Rochester uniform.
 
Skidmore's Vandersea did damage out of the nine spot, going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run. McDonald and Donald each went 2-for-4 as well for the Thoroughbreds.