AUBURNDALE, FL – The University of Rochester baseball rallied twice on Saturday, defeating SUNY Maritime 8-7 and 5-1 to post a doubleheader sweep at the RussMatt Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Complex.
 
URochester's two victories move the Yellowjackets to 3-0 on the young season, while the Privateers remain winless, dropping to 0-5 overall.
 
Game 1: Rochester 8, SUNY Maritime 7
The Yellowjackets spotted the Privateers a five-run lead after one inning, but continually chipped away over the next four frames eventually taking an 8-5 lead in the middle of the fifth. Maritime cut the lead to two in the bottom of the fifth and threatened in the last inning, scoring once, but stranded the bases loaded.
 
Maritime benefitted from four walks in the opening inning to race out to the early lead. A fly-out double-play helped stop the bleeding and reliever James Nelson got a strikeout to keep the deficit at five after one.
 
In the second, a fielding error by the Privateers allowed the 'Jackets to push together their opening run of the game.
 
The 'Jackets put up three more in the third to trim the deficit to one. Carlos Barajas led off with a triple and after a ground out, Teddy Monahan reached on an infield single to plate his first-year teammate. The next batter was Benjamin Garber, who launched a home run to right, making the score 5-4 SUNY Maritime.
 
UR's next inning also featured a home run, as rookie George Farley IV cracked his second long ball in as many games to start the season, knotting the game up.
 
URochester made it eight straight runs overall, scoring three more times in the top of the fifth. After Sammy Besztery reached on a single and was moved up on a sacrifice bunt, a SUNY Maritime error proved big, allowing a run to score and the inning to be extended. A strikeout was the second out, before Will Webster was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.
 
A walk loaded the bases, right before Nathan Carpenter-Holmes laced a 2-run double down the left field line for an 8-5 'Jacket lead.
 
Maritime's Alex Bardi lifted a home run to left center to get the Privateers back on the scoreboard, moving the score to 8-6 with two innings left.
 
In the top of the sixth, Besztery singled, Monahan walked and Jake Bentivenga reached on a free pass to load the bases, but Maritime reliever Jack Kellner was able to escape the jam getting a fly out to left.
 
The Yellowjackets threatened again in the seventh, getting two runners on, but another fly out ended the threat, keeping the game 8-6 heading to the final half inning.
 
During Maritime's last up's, first-year closer Sam Loeb was brought in to shut the door. After a strikeout to start things, back-to-back hits, including a single and triple made the score 8-7 with the tying run on base, 90 feet away from home plate.
 
Loeb induced a grounder to third, and the runner took off for home, but was thrown out with Carpenter-Holmes throwing a strike to Logan Mathias behind the plate for a huge second out.
 
A single followed to put the tying and winning runs on base. Those runners then moved up to scoring position after a hit batter loaded the bases, but Loeb regained his composure and got a swinging strikeout to preserve the win.
 
Besztery and Farley were the only 'Jackets with multiple hits in the game, each finishing with two base knocks. Garber drove in two runs and had two runs scored.
 
On the mound, Nelson got the win in relief, tossing four scoreless innings, striking out two without issuing a walk. Theo Beckley held the lead for UR with two innings of work, while Loeb picked up his first career save in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Game 2: Rochester 5, SUNY Maritime 1
In the second game, Maritime's leadoff hitter, Dylan Payano, reached on a triple and later scored on an RBI groundout, putting the Privateers up on the scoreboard after just two batters.
 
That was it though for SUNY Maritime, as junior starter Zach Herzog was terrific throughout the rest of his outing, which lasted six innings. Herzog earned the win, allowing just the one run and five hits, while striking out five and issuing two walks. Sophomore Jake Del Vecchio pitched a scoreless last inning, sealing the win.
 
SUNY Maritime's starting pitcher Joe Demos also pitched well, holding the Yellowjackets offense at bay until the fourth inning. Garber led off with a single up the middle and stole second and was moved to third on a Bentivenga sacrifice. The next batter, Ryan Huckabone, hit an RBI single to level the score at 1-1 before a double-play ended the inning.
 
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth when the Yellowjackets struck for four runs, reaching the final score of 5-1.
 
A fly out opened the inning, but Monahan hit a single and Garber followed with an RBI double to put UR in front. Bentivenga made it three straight hits with a single, putting runners on the corners. A wild pitch allowed the runners to move up, moving the score to 3-1 'Jackets.
 
Huckabone reached via walk to put two runners on ahead of a Webster pinch-hit double to left, scoring the two runners, making it a four-run lead heading to the last inning.
 
Del Vecchio came in for the final frame, and pitched around a one-out walk to send the Yellowjackets to their third straight win.
 
Herzog benefitted from three double plays in the game, all coming from Besztery and Carlos Barajas in the middle infield. SUNY Maritime also turned two twice in game two, leading to a tidy 1 hour, 45-minute affair in the nightcap.
 
Garber finished 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI to lead the 'Jacket offense once again.
 
URochester has a day off on Sunday before returning to action with a doubleheader on Monday against Utica University at the Chain of Lakes Complex, starting at 3:30 pm.