Courtesy of UofRAthletics
ITHACA, NY – Host Ithaca College was able to rally against the University of Rochester bullpen, finishing off a 12-11 victory with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon at IC’s Freedman Field.
Ryan Henchey singled past a diving outfielder for the game-winning hit for the Bombers (20-8), scoring teammate Trevor Thompson. The win is Ithaca’s 10th in a row, while the Rochester loss drops the Yellowjackets to 7-16.
Rochester built a huge early lead in the contest, holding a 9-1 edge through four innings, scoring multiple runs in each of those first four times up.
In the first, senior Pete Carrier clocked a two-run home run to right field. Grant Kilmer provided an RBI single in the second and Jake Hertz ended up getting a free run after Aiden Finch reached on catcher’s interference with the bases loaded.
After the host Bombers got on the board in the second, making it 4-1, Rochester re-upped its lead with three runs in the third, pulling ahead 7-1. Kyle Trombley reached on an attempted sacrifice that was botched by Ithaca’s defense, allowing Jack Herman to score. Hertz then lined a double to left scoring two runs. In the fourth, Herman singled in Tyler Schmidt and then scored on a passed ball and Rochester was up 9-1.
Ithaca scraped another run across in the 5th, but that’s all the runs IC would get off of UR starter Jack Denzer who pitched great. The sophomore hurdler went six innings, allowed 7 hits, 2 runs and 1 walk while striking out 2 and hitting 1 batter.
In the seventh inning, everything started to unravel for the ‘Jacket bullpen. The inning started with five straight walks, forcing in two runs for the Bombers. A pitching change brought in Brendan Shamieh to try and limit the damage, which he did, only surrendering one more run on a groundout. After seven it was UR up 9-5.
The top of the eighth saw the Yellowjackets answer with two big runs following a double from Schmidt, plating Kilmer and Carrier, but UR left the bases loaded after IC reliver Matt Eiel got a strikeout and ground out to end the threat.
Ithaca then pulled even with six runs in the bottom of the inning, sending 11 batters to the plate. After a leadoff strikeout, five straight Bombers reached, three via walk or hit by pitch, en route to three runs. Henchey had a big hit with a 2-run double to right. A second strikeout had UR one out away from ending the inning, but two singles sandwiched around another hit batter plated the three remaining runs to tie the score at 11-11 heading to the ninth. Domenic Boresta also provided a 2-run single for Ithaca in the inning.
Rochester went down 1-2-3 in the ninth setting the stage for a potential walk-off win for the host Bombers. After a groundout, Thompson drew a walk. He stole second and then moved to third when Sam Little flied out to deep right field. That would set up Henchey’s game-winning hit.
For UR, both Hertz and Carrier finished with two runs and two RBI while Schmidt, David Rieth and Kilmer each had two hits. Schmidt finished with 2 RBI and a double while Kilmer added a run, stolen base and RBI.
Ithaca’s Henchey led the way going 2-5 with 4 RBI and a double. Thompson drew three walks and scored three times while Boresta finished 2-5 with 3 RBI.
Rochester is back in action on Wednesday night at home against Oswego State.
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