Baseball | 4/21/2013 6:36:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  
 
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT baseball team (10-14, 5-11 Liberty League) played first-place Union College (18-6, 15-3 Liberty League) and earned a well-deserved split of the doubleheader held at Tiger Stadium on Sunday afternoon. RIT rallied late in both games of the doubleheader, prevailing in the opener 9-2 in eight innings, but falling in game two, 4-3.
 
The Dutchmen came into today's games as winners of 13 of their last 14 contests, but the Tigers didn't back down. Facing a 2-0 deficit heading into the top of the fifth inning of the opener, RIT had the first two batters reach base safely. After a fly out and a strike out, Jaren Bell (Rochester, NY/Brighton) reached on an error and Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) laced an RBI single. Ronnie Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) followed with a walk to plate Brett Kajganich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Name) who represented the tying run.
 
Each team was held scoreless through the sixth and seventh innings, forcing the game into extra frames. The Tigers broke out in a big way in the top of the eighth.  Two costly Dutchmen errors paved the way for a seven-run, three-hit inning in which Union used three different pitchers to try to record three outs. RIT would bat around in the inning with Andrew Hughes (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) providing the backbreaking two RBI double to left field to put the game out of reach.
 
Taylor Hogan (Rochester, NY/Brighton), Bell, and Roman also recorded RBI's in the eighth, as RIT scored seven times to break the 2-2 tie.
 
Ethan Humbert (Rose, NY/North Rose-Wolcott) pitched very well, going seven innings and allowing only two runs to secure his second victory on the season. Seth Noreman (Old Bethpage, NY/Old Bethpage-JFK) closed the game out in the bottom of the eighth.
 
RIT would erase a bigger deficit in game two of the twin bill. Union held a 3-0 lead after five innings and Jamie Faber held RIT hitless for 5 2/3 innings, allowing only one base runner on a walk.
 
With two outs in the sixth, Bell started the rally with a base hit to left field. Roman followed by crushing a double down the left field line, scoring Bell. Roman would score when Jesse Galina dropped Canestro's pop fly in shallow right field. However, Faber recovered to get Skip Flanagan (Framingham, MA/Bishop Feehan) to ground out to short to end the inning.
 
Brandon Cohall (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) retired the Dutchmen in order in the bottom half of the inning and Hogan led of the seventh with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position, Kaiganich would single through the right side to tie the game.
 
Union responded in its next at bat as Vincent Esposito drew a walk with one out and then stole second base. Cohall retired the next batter on a slow grounder back to the mound, advancing Esposito to third. Senior Tyler Heck would provide a walk off single giving Union the victory.
 
Cohall took the loss in relief, going 3 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run while striking out four.
 
Faber was excellent for Union, hurling a complete game and allowing three hits as he struck out eight batters.
 
The teams combined for just seven hits in the contest.
 
Union now leads the all-time series between the two schools, 12-8, including 5-1 and 11-1 victories yesterday afternoon.
 
RIT returns to action on April 27, as the host Vassar College for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.