Rochester Opens Conference Play with DH Sweep of Clarkson

PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – University of Rochester baseball picked up two wins to open Liberty League play against the Clarkson University Golden Knights, sweeping their doubleheader to open a three-game series on Friday at Towers Field. UR walked off in 10 innings, 11-10, to take game one, before picking up a 4-3 victory in game two against the Golden Eagles to move to 7-6 (2-0 LL) on the year, while the Golden Knights fall to 6-5 (0-2 LL).

GAME ONE: Rochester 11, Clarkson 10 (10 inn.)
Sammy Rosenfield toed the rubber for the Yellowjackets in game one, and worked around a pair of baserunners in the top of the first, getting back-to-back groundouts to third to keep the Golden Knights off the scoreboard.

Rochester would similarly put two runners on in the bottom of the inning via a walk and hit-by-pitch, but Mateo Sarabia equaled Rosenfield’s performance, getting a flyout and foul out to keep things scoreless after one.

UR would leave another pair of baserunners on in the bottom of the second after a leadoff hit-by-pitch and two-out walk, and after Rosenfield worked a 1-2-3 third, the ‘Jackets would finally break through in the bottom of the third.

Colby Cruser blasted a solo shot to center to lead off the bottom of the third inning, giving Rochester a 1-0 lead. Josh Leadem followed with an infield single, and while Leadem was caught stealing, Sammy Besztery followed with a single of his own, and a batter later, Luke Gregory hit a two-run blast to left, extending UR’s advantage to 3-0.

Sammy Smith then drew a walk and stole second to bring up Matt Rieth, who singled down the left-field line to score Smith, making it a 4-0 lead and forcing the Golden Knights to make a pitching change.

Jason McGee relieved Sarabia and worked out of the inning without allowing another run, and Clarkson would answer back in the top of the fourth.

After Joe Figliolino worked a leadoff walk, Cam Jerrett reached on a throwing error, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. Christopher Griggs’ RBI single plated Clarkson’s first run of the game, and two batters later, Beau Vardion made it 4-2 with another RBI single before Rosenfield got the third out of the inning with a fielder’s choice.

The Yellowjackets got one back in the bottom of the fourth inning on Besztery’s RBI groundout, scoring Jackson Reed from third after the graduate student reached on an error and moved up to third on Cruser’s double. But UR would leave two more runners on, two of 17 left on base in game one for the Yellowjackets, as McGee struck out Gregory to strand a pair.

Rosenfield settled down after allowing a pair of unearned runs and struck out the side in the top of the fifth, and then set the Golden Knights down in order again in the sixth.

In the bottom of the fifth, UR left two more runners on, but in the bottom of the sixth, the ‘Jackets would push a run across to make it a 6-2 ballgame. Leadem led off with an infield single, took second on Besztery’s groundout and third on a wild pitch, and after the Golden Knights intentionally walked Alexander Gonzalo, stole home to make it 6-2 after Figliolino tried to catch Gonzalo too far off first base.

The ‘Jackets would later load the bases in the inning with a pair of walks drawn by Smith and Rieth, but McGee got a strikeout to end the threat, and strand three more baserunners.

Thomas Blaydes relieved Rosenfield and worked around a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, while UR’s offense tacked on two more in the bottom of the frame. Three-straight two-out singles by Besztery, Gonzalo and Gregory with a runner on first made it 7-2, as Gonzalo brought home Reed with an RBI single, while Gregory’s RBI single scored Besztery to extend Rochester’s lead to 8-2.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Golden Knights would get one back after back-to-back hits to leadoff the frame on Jerrett’s double-play ball, but Blaydes turned two and then struck Griggs out looking to keep Clarkson from getting any closer.

However, Blaydes would run into some trouble in the top of the ninth, as four-straight hits by the Golden Knights made it an 8-6 ballgame and brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Matt Casiero relieved Blaydes, but the Golden Knights had found their grove.

Figliolino worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases and while Jerrett’s RBI single cut UR’s lead to one. Griggis then worked a six-pitch walk to bring home the game-tying run, while James Mason’s RBI single gave Clarkson its first lead of the night, 9-8, and the Golden Knights would tack on another on CJ Cartier’s sacrifice fly before Casiero got the final out of the inning.

Nicholas Hofacker came in to try and close things out for Clarkson in the bottom of the ninth, but down to their final out, the Yellowjackets rallied. Gonzalo drew a five-pitch walk and Gregory singled to put the game-tying run on base, and bring the game-winning run to the plate.

Smith’s RBI single to right center scored Gonzalo to pull UR within a run, 10-9, while Ethan Jaquette, who pinch-hit for Riech, knocked in another run with an RBI single to center to level the score at 10-all.

Hofacker got a popout to stand a pair and send the two sides to extras, but after Matt Bradley pitched a perfect 10th, the Yellowjackets would walk things off in the bottom of the inning.

Reed led off the inning with a single, and after Cruser worked a four-pitch walk, Leadem perfectly placed a bunt down the third-base line, loading the bases with nobody out. Besztery then got just enough of a ground ball to allow Reed to come into score, giving the Yellowjackets an 11-10 victory.

Bradley (2-0) earned the win, striking out two in a scoreless 10th, while Hofacker (0-1) took the loss for Clarkson. Rosenfield allowed two unearned runs on three hits, walked one and struck out six over 6.0 innings and took a no-decision.

Gregory led UR at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two stolen bases, two runs scored and three RBI, while Cruser went 2-for-5 with a walk, double, home run, run scored and RBI.

Reed scored three runs, including the game-winner, going 2-for-6 with a walk and three runs scored, while the ‘Jackets as a team drew nine walks and tallied 11 runs on 17 hits.

GAME TWO: Rochester 4, Clarkson 3
Clarkson would take advantage of a defensive miscue to score a pair in the top of the first inning, as both Aidan Kuefner and Figliolino came around to score on Jerrett’s mishandled grounder.

Trailing 2-0, the Yellowjackets would go in order in the top of the first, while Sunil Lindsay settled down after allowing two runs in his first frame, and induced three groundouts to work a 1-2-3 frame in the second.

Lindsay worked another 1-2-3 frame to make it eight-straight retired after the Golden Knights got on the scoreboard, while UR would push two runs across to tie the score in the bottom of the third.

Back-to-back two-out singles by Reed and Cruser got UR’s offense going, and Leadem followed with a six-pitch walk to load the bases for Besztery. A hit-by-pitch brought Rochester’s first run of the game home, while Gonzalo followed with a four-pitch walk to even the score at two-all.

However, Cole Riskin escaped without any further damage, striking out Gregory to strand the bases loaded and prevent the ‘Jackets from taking the lead.

But after Lindsay left two on in the top of the fourth, Rochester would again score two in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. With one out, Reith laced a triple down the left-field line, and Benjamin Garberfollowed with a single to center, scoring Reith to make it 3-2 Rochester.

Garber then moved to second on Reed’s groundout before coming around to score himself on Cruser’s RBI single, giving the Yellowjackets a 4-2 lead.

Clarkson would get one back in the top of the fifth on Figliolino’s RBI single, scoring Seth Albert after a one-out double, but Lindsay got a flyout to keep Rochester in front, and then Bradley worked two scoreless frames after relieving the first-year to start the sixth.

Bradley worked around a one-out hit-by-pitch in the top of the sixth and set down the Golden Knights in order in the seventh. UR then brought in Cruser to try and close the game out, and the senior delivered, setting down six Golden Knight batters in order in the eighth and ninth, tallying five strikeouts, including three-straight in the ninth to earn the save and seal the 4-3 victory.

Lindsay (1-0) earned the win, allowing three runs, just one of which was earned, on three hits, walking one and striking out four over 5.0 innings pitched. Bradley struck out one over 2.0 innings of relief, while Cruser (1) earned the save, striking out five over 2.0 innings pitched.

Riskin (0-1) took the loss for Clarkson, allowing four runs on six hits, walking four and striking out five over 6.0 innings pitched.

Cruser also led UR at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a run scored and RBI, while Garber went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI, and Reith went 1-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.

The Yellowjackets and Golden Knights will wrap up their three-game set on Saturday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. at Towers Field.

Clarkson Piles Up 19 Runs in Victory Over UR

PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Visiting Clarkson University avoided the series sweep, scoring its most ever runs in the all-time series against the University of Rochester, winning 19-9 in Liberty League baseball action on Saturday afternoon at Towers Field.

The win is Clarkson’s first in the last 15 games against Rochester, dating back to the 2021 season. UR falls to 7-7 on the season and is 2-1 in the Liberty League, while Clarkson moves to 7-5 overall and is 1-2 in conference play.

Saturday’s contest got moved up to a 10 am start due to weather, and it seemed like the Yellowjacket pitchers never got the memo, combining to allow 15 hits while issuing 11 walks, with the runs and walks allowed being the most for UR in a game this season. Three Rochester errors also contributed to nine of the runs being unearned in the game.

The loss also snaps Rochester’s six-game winning streak overall, all coming in the Yellowjackets current 10-game homestand that goes through Wednesday’s matchup with SUNY Brockport.

On Saturday, Clarkson jumped on the Yellowjackets early, leading 2-0 after just two batters. A leadoff walk was issued to Seth Albert and Aidan Keufner followed with a 2-run home run over the left field fence. Later in the inning, the Golden Knights made it 3-0, scoring a run on a wild pitch.

Both teams went down in order in the second before Clarkson tacked on two more runs in the third, with Beau Vardion ripping a bases loaded ground-rule double to left.

UR broke the Clarkson shutout in the third inning, with Colby Cruser lining a double to right center, scoring Matt Rieth who reached on a Golden Knights error.

In the fourth, the Golden Knights broke the game open, sending 13 men to the plate, scoring nine runs to lead 14-1. After just one run had scored, UR committed a big two-out throwing error, scoring two more runs and keeping the inning alive.

After the error, five more batters in a row reached safely, allowing six additional runs to cross home plate.

Ethan Jaquette lifted a solo home run to center in UR’s bottom of the fourth and later in the inning Jackson Reed drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, but the Yellowjackets missed an opportunity to cut into the 14-3 lead, stranding the bases loaded.

Clarkson’s second home run of the game came in the top of the fifth, with James Mason blasting a two-run shot to center field to boost the score to 16-3.

UR’s Matt Casiero quieted the Clarkson bats over his two-plus inning outing, keeping the score 16-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh when the Yellowjackets needed four runs to keep the game going and avoid the Liberty League 10-run mercy rule.

UR did just that, scoring six times to make it a 16-9 game after seven innings. Back-to-back doubles from Reed and Cruser started the inning strong. After a Josh Leadem single, Jaquette picked up an RBI on a fielders choice and Alexander Gonzalofollowed with a single.

Following a Golden Knights pitching change, Sammy Besztery doubled to left, scoring two and two batters later, Sammy Smith did the same thing, trimming the Clarkson lead down to seven.

The momentum didn’t last though, as Clarkson’s bats woke up again in the next inning, pounding out four singles to score three runs and regain a 10-run advantage.

In the eighth, UR went down in order, allowing the game to be called prior to its fully scheduled nine innings.

At the plate for Rochester, Cruser led the ‘Jackets, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. Jaquette and Besztery each finished with two hits, two runs and two RBI.

Clarkson’s Kuefner finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6 with three runs scored and six RBI. C.J. Cartier added three hits, while Mason finished reached base four times and ended with two runs and three RBI.

On the mound, Casiero was the lone ‘Jacket hurler to not allow a run, going 2.2 innings in relief while allowing just one hit, striking out one. Mark Aaronson took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) in the opening inning.

Clarkson’s most effective pitcher was Ryan Petrie who got the final five outs of the game, picking up the win. Jacob Shirley got the start for the Golden Knights and struck out four in four innings.