Baseball | 3/29/2013 5:40:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT baseball team (5-4, 0-2 Liberty League) opened Liberty League play by dropping a pair of games to St. Lawrence (7-3, 2-0 Liberty League) by scores of 3-1 and 10-5 at Monroe Community College on Friday afternoon. The Saints have now won six straight games. Saturday's doubleheader between the two schools is cancelled due to unplayable field conditions at RIT.

In game one, St. Lawrence's Carter Franz hit a two-run home run to right center field in the top of the fifth inning to snap a 1-1 tie and pitcher Joe Riley did the rest, allowing just two hits in a complete game gem. Riley struck out eight batters and did not walk a batter in moving to 3-0 on the season. He has not allowed an earned run in 20 1/3 innings this season.

RIT pitcher Ethan Humbert (Rose, NY/North Rose-Wolcott) pitched well in defeat, allowing six hits and three runs, while striking out seven batters in six innings of work. Conor Herlihy (Geneseo, NY/Geneseo) threw a perfect inning of relief in the seventh.

The Saints took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run to left field by Zane Fish in the top of the third inning. RIT came right back in the bottom of the half of the frame and tied the game. Taylor Hogan (Rochester, NY/Brighton) and Brett Kajganich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Name) singled with one out and moved up on a ground out by CJ Bolorin (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta). Hogan scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

In game two, St. Lawrence, who was the designated home team, scored three times in the first inning to jump out to the lead. The Saints tacked on two more runs before RIT got on the board in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of runs.

RIT tallied twice on four consecutive hits in the fourth. Brian Brazee (Auburn, NY/Auburn) doubled, followed by a single by Tyler Ramotar (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake). Ronnie Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) drove home Brazee with a hard single to right, and Matt Holtby (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) followed# with a single to center, driving in Ramotar.

The Saints broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with a two-run single by Khifer O'Connor and two-run double by Jeff Kott, the big blows in the inning.

RIT cut the lead to 10-4 in the seventh as Hogan tripled to right and was driven in on a double by Kagjanich, who was injured sliding into second base. Two batters later, Skip Flanagan (Framingham, MA/Bishop Feehan) blooped a single just fair over the third baseman, scoring Jaren Bell (Rochester, NY/Brighton).

Andrew Schreyack picked up the win for the Saints, allowing seven hits and two runs in six innings. Kott was 3-for-4 with four RBI's, while O'Connor drove in three runs. Bryan Palermo, Mark Syron, and Matt DeLuca had two hits each in the win.

Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), Brazee, and Canestro had a pair of hits apiece for RIT, as all nine starters had at least one hit. Michael Burns (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) took the loss, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings.

St. Lawrence now leads the all-time series between the two schools, 41-28.

RIT is back in action on Tuesday with a doubleheader at Skidmore at 1 p.m.