Baseball | 4/6/2011 2:04:40 PM

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BROCKPORT, NY - Five pitchers combined on a nine-hitter, as the RIT baseball team (8-11) scored in the top of the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie and defeat SUNY Brockport (18-9), 2-1 at Clark Whited Complex on a cool, windy Thursday afternoon.

With two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Ronnie Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) reached on an error, then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Ed Hughes (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) continued his torrid hitting pace, driving in Canestro with a single to left field to break the tie.

In the bottom of the inning, Brockport threatened, putting runners at second and third with two outs, but RIT closer Charles Yarrington (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) coerced a ground out to third base to escape the jam. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Yarrington once again wiggled out of trouble, escaping runners at second and third with one out, getting a strikeout and groundout to earn his second save of the season.

Joel Walker (Morrisville, VT/Peoples Academy) picked up his first collegiate win, throwing three scoreless innings in relief.  Chris Dickinson (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) started for the Tigers, allowing two hits in two scorless innings.  Dan Schuster (Livonia, NY/Livonia) came on and allowed a run in two innings.  Walker pitched his three scoreless innings, followed by Tyler Leichtenberger (Warren, PA/Warren Area) who pitched one-third of a scoreless inning. 

Justin Smith (Livonia, NY/Livonia) scored RIT's first run in the first inning, as Jon Meyer (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) attempted to steal second, as Smith crossed home plate before Meyer was thrown out.

Ben Robertson (Mecklenburg, NY/Trumansburg) was 2-for-2 for RIT.

The Tigers return to action on Friday and Saturday with a pair of doubleheaders at Utica.  Friday's twinbill gets underway at 2 p.m. and Saturday's begins at 12 p.m.