AUBURNDALE, FL – The University of Rochester baseball team scored three runs in three innings, adding a key insurance score in the eighth to earn a hard-fought 10-9 victory over Wheaton College of Massachusetts on Wednesday afternoon at the RussMatt Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
With runners on the corners and one out in the top of the ninth, first-year closer
Sam Loeb escaped, getting a game-ending 5-4-3 double-play.
Ryan Huckabone fired across the diamond to
Carlos Barajas at second, who whipped the turn over to
Jake Bentivenga at first to seal the victory.
Loeb secures his third save of the season, helping URochester push its record to 6-1 on the year. Wheaton falls for the first time in 2026, moving to 4-1.
Huckabone led the Yellowjackets offense going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and a run scored, including a double. Barajas when 2-for-4 with a run and 2 RBI while first-year classmate
Teddy Monahan was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
Rookie
Will Webster also had a multi-hit effort with two hits and two runs scored, with junior teammate
Sammy Besztery finishing 2-for-5w with a double, run scored and RBI.
On the mound first-year
Spencer Guido tossed four solid frames, allowing just four hits and one run, striking out four while walking one. Reliever
Aidan Watts tossed one inning, followed by
Theo Beckley who earned the win after his two innings, prior to Loeb finishing off the game with his 2-inning effort.
Wheaton was able to strike first with a 2-out Brandon Westerfield RBI single in the top of the first inning.
In the second, the Yellowjackets pushed across three runs to take the lead. An error started the inning prior to Webster singling and Monahan drawing a walk to load the bases. Huckabone ripped a single up the middle to tie the game before
Luke Blozy found the gap in left center to drive in two more.
The URochester lead was pushed out to five after another three runs crossed in the fourth. With one out, Monahan singled ahead of a Huckabone RBI double to left. After a ground out, the 'Jackets had three straight singles, with Barajas and Besztery recording RBI's.
Wheaton battled all the way back in the fifth, scoring five times on four hits, two hit batters and a couple wild pitches.
Rochester answered right away though, regaining the lead in the bottom half of the frame. Four straight singles started the inning, with Huckabone lining a base hit to left center to put UR on top 8-6. A wild pitch followed, putting runners on second and third with one out ahead of a sacrifice fly by Barajas to make the lead three.
The Lyons made it runs in two straight innings though, responding with two runs in the sixth, coming on Collin Reilly and Westerfield singles. A 'Jackets error allowed the inning to continue, making both runs against Beckley unearned, with the score eventually moving to 9-8 after six.
UR threatened in the seventh, but left two runners on base. The Yellowjackets did get a key insurance run in the eighth though, coming on a Bentivenga sacrifice fly after Besztery led off the inning with a double off the wall in left.
In the ninth, Wheaton led off with a single before Loeb got a fly out. Another single put the tying run on base before Declan Lush singled to make the score 10-9 before the game-ending double-play was turned by the Yellowjackets.
URochester has a quick turnaround and will play on Thursday morning in a doubleheader against Dickinson College at the Chain of Lakes Sports Park, with game one starting at 9 am.
