Baseball rallies past Ithaca, 10-9

ROCHESTER, N.Y.   – The RIT baseball team rallied from a six-run deficit to earn a 10-9 win at home against Ithaca, Sunday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 6-0 in the third inning, RIT got on the board when senior infielder Randy Dodig singled to left field to drive in junior outfielder Caelan Kim.
• Ithaca responded in the fourth with another run on a walk with bases loaded to go up 7-1 heading into the fifth inning.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Dodig singled to right field, bringing senior utility player John Bagley home, which started a rally that gave the Tigers a one-run lead. RIT would then score another six runs in the fifth inning to take an 8-7 lead.
• The Bombers tied the game in the sixth inning and took the lead in the seventh before RIT responded with two runs in the seventh from junior infielder Charlie Slaymaker and junior outfielder Caelan Kim.
• The Tigers kept Ithaca off the scoreboard rest of the game to complete the comeback win, 10-9.

GAME NOTES

• Dodig finished the game with two hits, increasing his total hits to 30 on the season, the most on the team.
• Senior reliever Ryan Merkov pitched the final 5.2 innings, allowing two runs off of eight hits while striking out two batters and no walks to improve to 3-0. 
• With the win, RIT improves to 16-7 overall and 5-4 in Liberty League action.
• The Tigers take the series against Ithaca after winning the final two games as all three games were decided by one run.

UP NEXT
The Tigers are scheduled to travel to take on Oswego on Tuesday (Apr. 8) at 3 p.m.  

Baseball splits doubleheader at Ithaca; falls, 5-4, wins 2-1

ITHACA, N.Y. – The RIT baseball team earned a doubleheader split at Ithaca by falling 5-4 in the first game before winning 2-1 in the second game, Friday.

GAME ONE – Ithaca 5, RIT 4

• Trailing 2-0 through two innings, the visiting Tigers scored two runs when senior Adam Marsh reached first on a fielder’s choice before advancing to second on a throwing error by Ithaca’s second baseman. The error allowed junior Jackson Rusiecki and senior Randy Dodig to come across home plate.
• Ithaca regained the lead in the fifth inning when Matt Curtis singled into right field, bringing in Andrew McDermott.
• In the top of the ninth, Marsh hit a single up the middle to drive in junior Caelen Kim and Dodig, making it a 4-4 game.
• With bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, the Bombers’ Matt Curtis hit a walk-off single down the left line, allowing Ethan Fantel to score.
• Marsh led RIT with three RBIs, going 1-of-4 at the plate with one hit and a walk.

GAME TWO – RIT 2, Ithaca 1

• Ithaca got on the scoreboard in the first when Curtis hit a sacrifice fly in left field, driving in McDermott.
• RIT responded in the fourth when junior Charlie Slaymaker managed to score when graduate John Bagley grounded out to the shortstop.
• The Tigers won the game with a walk-off double from Rusiecki that brought in Dodig.
• Junior Luc Rising pitched eight innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out three batters. Senior Ryan Merkov pitched the final inning to get the win, improving to 2-0 on the season.

GAME NOTES

• The second game of the doubleheader was originally the first game of a doubleheader at RIT on Saturday but was moved up to Friday due to rainy weather forecasted for Saturday.

UP NEXT
RIT returns home to finish the three-game series with Ithaca on Sunday (Apr. 6) at noon.