WINTER HAVEN, FL – The University of Rochester baseball team got an outstanding pitching performance in game two from sophomore Andrew Lenhard, earning a split doubleheader with Utica University on Monday evening at the Chain of Lakes Sports Complex competing in the RussMatt Invitational.
 
Utica claimed a victory in game one, winning 6-5, before the Yellowjackets got one back in the night cap, shutting out the Pioneers 3-0. Rochester improves to 4-1 on the season, while Utica moves to 5-3.
 
Game 1: Utica 6, Rochester 5
Utica's Matthew Paolucci blasted the game-deciding 3-run home run in bottom of the fifth inning to rally the Pioneers back in the contest, with relief pitcher Justin Notargiacomo stranding the tying and winning runs on base in the seventh inning.
 
In the first, UR's Carlos Barajas opened with a single and moved to second on a throwing error. After a ground out moved the first year up to third, Teddy Monahan produced another grounder, allowing Barajas to score and put Rochester up 1-0.
 
The Pioneers capitalized on some wild pitching in the bottom of the first, tying up the game on a ground out as well.
 
Jake Bentivenga led off with a 2-bagger in the second inning and was sacrificed to third by Will Webster and later gave URochester the lead back, scoring on a balk.
 
Utica responded again, loading the bases with a hit batter, walk and shallow single to right. Jake Ogata then laid down a squeeze bunt to score the lead runner, knotting the game back up.
 
The next inning, Utica continued its scoring stretch with an RBI groundout.
 
URochester got back into it, scoring three runs in the fourth to take the lead. Benjamin Garber led off with a walk, Bentivenga laced another double to put runners at second and third. Webster hit a ground and reached on an error, earning an RBI to pull the score back even.
 
After Webster stole second, Luke Blozy hit a high chopper off the turf that cleared the third baseman, allowing two runs to score, making the 5-3 in favor of the Yellowjackets.
 
The Yellowjackets threatened in the fifth, with Monahan and Garber each getting singles to start the inning. Bentivenga drew a walk to load the bases, but Notargiacomo got a strikeout and huge double-play to end the inning.
 
That momentum carried over into the bottom of the frame, with the first two batters reaching before Paolucci's home run gave the Pioneers the lead.
 
URochester got runners on the corners with only one out in the top of the sixth but couldn't push the tying run across, and again had two on in the seventh, but Notargiacomo got the big outs to preserve the win.
 
On the mound, Brendan Ryan started for the Yellowjackets, but only lasted 1.1 innings. Derek Llanes pitched three innings and allowed four runs while striking out three, with Jake Del Vecchio tossing a perfect 1.2 innings to wrap things up for UR.
 
At the plate, Barajas, Bentivenga and George Farley IV each had two hits, while Blozy drove in two with Bentivenga scoring twice.
 
Game 2: Rochester 3, Utica 0
Lenhard tossed six scoreless frames, bouncing back from a rough first start to the season two days ago, carving up the Pioneers in the second game. He ended up yielding only four hits and one walk, striking out two. He needed just 82 pitches to get through the six innings.
 
First-year Sam Loeb earned is second save of the season pitching around a walk and hit batter in the seventh inning.
 
All three of URochester's runs scored came in the first two innings against Utica starter Garret Greaney, but were unearned thanks to a couple of Pioneer miscues.
 
In the first, a throwing error on Barajas to lead things off gave the Yellowjackets the first runner on. After two strikeouts, Greaney lost his control, walking three straight batters to force in a run. Farley IV drew the third of those walks, earning an RBI. After the bases loaded walk, Ryan Huckabone singled to left, making the score 2-0.
 
After Lenhard set down six straight Pioneers, the Yellowjackets came back up in the bottom of the second and tacked on another run, when Owen Andreatta scored on a Greaney failed pickoff attempt throwing error.
 
Utica got its first hit in the third inning, but Lenhard then set down the next three to easily keep the shutout rolling.
 
Following the rocky start, Greaney then settled in, allowing one hit throughout the rest of his 5-plus inning outing.
 
During the fourth inning, a fielding error allowed the Pioneers to get the leadoff batter on base. Two batters later, a single put two runners on. Lenhard escaped the jam though, by getting two fly outs.
 
Another Pioneer chance went by the wayside in the top of the sixth inning. After a ground out to start things, a single and walk brought the tying run to the plate. Lenhard then induced a ground ball which turned into a 4-6-3 double play, keeping the momentum on the Yellowjackets side.
 
The seventh inning saw Loeb take over on the mound and start off the frame with a hit batter. After freezing the next hitter on a full count for a strikeout, he got the second out on a fly ball to center. A tight strike zone led to a 2-out walk, but the first-year closer finished off the game, getting a soft groundout to first.
 
Farley led the offense in game two with a 1-for-1 effort, including a double and RBI. He also walked twice and stole a base.
 
Up next on the teams spring break trip is a single game against Wesleyan University on Tuesday at 2:15 pm.