Baseball | 5/6/2011 3:27:07 PM

Click here for game one stats

Click here for game two stats

ROCHESTER, NY - Senior Ed Hughes (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) hit a bloop walk-off single with the infield drawn in game one, while freshman hurler Chris Dickinson (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) earned his first collegiate win and complete game in game two, giving the RIT baseball team (14-17, 5-7 Empire 8) two come from behind victories over Empire 8 rival Stevens (13-22, 5-9 Empire 8), 7-6, and 5-2 on Friday afternoon at RIT Field.

In game one, RIT trailed 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but tied the game with four runs in the bottom of the inning, as Justin Smith (Livonia, NY/Livonia) doubled home a run, Kreag Bradley (Victor, NY/Victor) singled in two runs, and Jon Meyer (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) hit a sacrifice fly to tie the contest.

After a scoreless sixth inning, Stevens took the lead in the seventh inning, as Russ Grimes blooped a single to shallow right field, scoring Tom Phillips, who had an infield single, then advanced to second on the errant throw.

In the bottom of the inning, Smith led off an reached on an error, then advanced to second, when Bradley beat out a perfect bunt to the third base side.  Ron Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) attempted to bunt both runners over, and reached when Stevens pitcher Kyle Hanas threw the ball past the third baseman, scoring Smith and moving Bradley to third.  After a flyout, Dave Kernan (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) was intentionally walked, setting up Hughes' heroics.  His shallow fly ball would have been a routine play, but with the infield drawn in, it fell to give RIT the win.

Michael Burns (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) started for RIT, allowing seven hits and five runs in six innings.  Charles Yarrington (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) picked up the win in relief, allowing a pair of hits and an unearned run.  It is Yarrington's first victory of the season.

Bradley was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs, while Smith was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.  Hughes also doubled and scored a run, while Nick Ventura (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) was 1-for-3, with a run scored, and RBI, jumpstarting RIT's fifth inning rally.

Ken Meerendonk, Dennis Ackermann, and Grimes each had two hits apiece for the Ducks.  Meerendonk tripled and scored twice, while Ackermann and Grimes both drove in two runs.  On the mound, Kevin Mathews got the start and pitched five innings, giving up seven hits and five runs.  Hanas took the loss, allowing two hits and a pair of unearned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

In game two, Stevens scored twice in the top of the second inning on two walks, a balk, a sacrifice fly, and single.  RIT responded with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, as hughes tripled and scored on a groundout by Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport).  Jeffrey Creagh (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

From there, pitching dominated until the bottom of the sixth, when RIT scored three times to break the 2-2 tie.  With one out, Creagh walked and scored all the way from first on a double by Ventura.   After Smith singled, Bradley singled to drive in Ventura.  Canestro then drove in Smith to complete the scoring.

Dickinson cruised over the final five innings, allowing just four hits.  Overall, he allowed seven hits, walked three batters and struck out two for his first win.  Smith, Bradley, Canestro, and Ventura each had two hits for RIT.  Creagh scored twice.

The Tigers and Ducks complete their season series on Saturday at RIT Field with a special start time of 11 a.m. for the doubleheader in conjunction with the Imagine RIT Festival.  RIT will honor its Class of 2011 before the first game.