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University of Rochester Athletics

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER YELLOWJACKETS
Benjamin Garber
Rochester Athletics
Garber finished a home run shy of the cycle on Friday.
18
Winner Rochester ROC 1-0
14
Keystone KEYSTONE 5-3
Winner
Rochester ROC
1-0
18
Final
14
Keystone KEYSTONE
5-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rochester ROC 3 1 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 18 18 1
Keystone KEYSTONE 0 0 0 1 2 2 3 1 5 14 18 4

W: Lindsay, Sunil (1-0) L: Leam Powell (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Scott Sabocheck, Director of Athletic Communications

Baseball Scores 18 Runs in Opening Day Win vs. Keystone

AUBURNDALE, FL – The University of Rochester offense produced 18 runs on 18 hits in the 2026 season opener, defeating Keystone College 18-14 in a slugfest at the RussMatt Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
 
All nine starters for the Yellowjackets (1-0) finished with a base hit, while eight finished with a run scored. Four players, Sammy Besztery, Benjamin Garber, Jake Bentivenga and Will Webster each had three base knocks. Garber, Bentivenga, Luke Blozy and George Farley IV each picked up three RBI's.
 
URochester got on the board in the opening inning with Garber posting the third straight single, driving in Besztery. Two batters later, Webster set up and looped a base hit to left, driving in a pair to make it 3-0.
 
In the second, first-year Carlos Barajas provided a two-out RBI, driving in Farley who singled and stole second.
 
Keystone (5-3) was held without a hit by Sunil Lindsay for the opening three frames, allowing the Yellowjackets to build the early lead. Lindsay ended up securing the win, tossing 5 frames with 4 hits allowed, 3 runs and 3 strikeouts.
 
UR boosted its lead to nine after putting up a 5-spot in the fourth inning. Teddy Monahan was the third straight hit batter, and fourth of the inning, scoring the opening run. Garber followed by lacing a double to right center, clearing the bases. Bentivenga made it three straight RBI hits, singling to left to plate Garber.
 
The Giants started their scoring stretch of innings in the fourth as well, getting a solo home run from Emilio Portes. In the fifth, Colson Bennett provided a sacrifice fly to score Ethan Schimony and Dee Rice touched home on a balk, making the score 9-3.
 
Rochester put up five more runs to regain the momentum in the top of the sixth. Besztery and Bentivenga had RBI hits before Blozy ripped a double with the bases loaded to score three more.
 
Keystone got several of those runs back in the bottom half of the next two innings, scoring twice in both the sixth and seventh to make it a 14-8 game.
 
In the eighth, Bentivenga singled to right, scoring Garber who led off with a triple. After Webster singled, Farley IV crushed a home run, the first of his collegiate career, to boost UR's score to 18.
 
The Giants added a single score in the eighth and then gave the Yellowjackets a scare in the ninth, scoring five more times to make it a four-run game. Benny Hess had the big hit, blasting a 3-run shot down the right field line.
 
After the home run though, reliever Derek Llanes got the next two batters to strike out swinging, securing the opening day win for Rochester.
 
UR is back in action on Saturday morning for an early doubleheader against SUNY Maritime, with the first game's first pitch set for 9:30 am.