Baseball | 4/12/2014 7:39:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT baseball team (12-5, 7-2 Liberty League) needed some walk-off magic to sweep a doubleheader against Liberty League foe Skidmore College (5-14, 0-8 Liberty League) from Tiger Stadium on a sunny, Saturday afternoon. RIT won game one by a score of 2-1 in 10 innings, then took game two by the same score in nine innings.

Chris Barr (North Wales, PA/North Penn ) had six hits in the doubleheader and delivered the walk-off hit in game two. Zach Zabel (Clarence, NY/Clarence) had three hits on the day.

In game one, both teams scored once in the fourth inning, with neither team able to mount any more offense until the 10th inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Barr doubled to left field with one out and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Zabel. Ronnie Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) came to the plate with the chance to win the game for RIT and on the first pitch, he did just that, crushing a line drive into the gap in left center field, scoring Zabel to give RIT the victory.

In game two, both teams scored in the first inning, with pitching and defense dominating the next eight frames. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Zabel led off with a single to left field and stole second base. After Canestro bunted Zabel to third, Barr came up looking to play the hero. After swinging and missing at the first pitch and taking pitch two for a ball, Barr squared to bunt and with Zabel moving on the pitch, dropped the perfect suicide squeeze to the right side, plating the winning run.

Game one was scheduled to go seven innings, with game two to go nine innings, per Liberty League rules. With game one going extra innings, game two then switched to a seven-inning affair. RIT has had three of its last four games go to extra innings.

The Tigers had 18 hits in the doubleheader but struggled to get runs home. In the opener, RIT left 15 men on base and left 11 on base in game two.  Skidmore had 11 hits in the two games, leaving 17 runners on base.

In game one, RIT starter Brandon Cohall (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) was excellent, allowing just four hits and an unearned run over seven innings of work, striking out eight batters. COhall has now allowed just one earned run over his last three starts, spanning 20 1/3 innings. Tyler Leichtenberger (Warren, PA/Warren Area) would earn the win, allowing just one run while striking out a pair of batters over three scoreless innings of relief. The senior hurler picked up his third win of the season, needing just 30 pitches to complete the three innings.

Barr finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a pair of doubles, and a stolen base. Matt Holtby (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) and Canestro each had two hits. Erik Watkins and Mat Marino had a pair of hits apiece for Skidmore.

Skidmore pitcher Kenny Aiello started and pitched well, allowing six hits and a run while striking out five batters in five innings. Justin Willig pitched a 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Daniel Dasgupta picked up the tough loss, allowing just one in three innings of relief.

In game two, RIT hurler Ethan Humbert (Rose, NY/North Rose-Wolcott) was excellent, allowing five hits and a run, while striking out eight batters in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed three straight hits and the run in the first inning before setlling down. Leichtenberger got RIT out of a jam in the seventh to keep the game tied, while Brian Sheridan (Trumansburg, NY/Trumansburg) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Rich Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth inning, needing just eight pitches, earning the win.

Barr was 3-for-5, while Zabel went 2-for-4 and stole a pair of bases.

For Skidmore, Andrew Bannon allowed just an unearned run in the first inning. He went five innings, allowing three hits, while striking out a pair of batters. Jeremy Selecky pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning for the Thoroughbreds. Justin Willig took the loss, allowing three hits in 1 1/3 innings.  Skidmore stole seven bases in the contest.

Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), the reigning Liberty League Player of the Week, made several tremendous defensive plays at third base and was shown plenty of respect by Skidmore, getting intentionally walked three times on the day.

RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 13-9. The Tigers currently lead the Liberty League standings with a 7-2 mark.

The two teams conclude their regular season series on Sunday with a doubleheader at Tiger Stadium that gets underway at 11 a.m.