LL Tournament Game 1 - Clarkson 9, Rochester 4
Liberty League Championship Game 1 - May 12, 2016
Clarkson 9, Rochester 4
AMSTERDAM, NY.—The Clarkson University baseball team erupted for an eight-run sixth inning en route to a 9-4 win against the University of Rochester in the opening game of the Liberty League Championship Tournament Thursday afternoon at Shuttleworth Park.
The Golden Knights (19-16) will play the winner of game two between host Union and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) at 1 p.m., Friday, May 13, while the Yellowjackets (22-19) will face the loser in an elimination game at 10 a.m.
Greg Jasek led the Clarkson offense, going 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Anthony Padrazo was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored and Ben Knauf was 1-for-2 with two RBis and a run scored.
Ryan Riley improved to 2-1 on the mound for the Golden Knights, allowing one run on two hits while walking two and striking out four over 2 2/3 innings. Starting pitcher Ian Castle gave up three runs (three earned on nine hits with three strikeouts and no walks over five innings.
Clarkson opened the scoring in the bottom of the third when Padrazo doubled to right center, scoring Paddy Defino.
Rochester tied things at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with an RBI single by Dan Warren. Steve Ecychner put the Yellowjackets in front with a sacrifice fly to center field in the fifth and Nolan Schultz doubled the lead with an RBI single up the middle two batters later.
After being held scoreless in the fourth and fifth, Clarkson’s bats came alive in the sixth, producing eight runs on seven hits. Dom Pirro and Chris Miller had back-to-back RBI singles with the bases loaded, Defino drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and Knauff chased Rochester starter John Ghyzel with a two-run single to center. Padrazo and Jasek followed with another set of back-to-back RBI singles and Miller capped the scoring with an RBI groundout to second.
The Yellowjackets pulled one back in the eight, but that’s as close as they would get. Ghyzel (7-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing eight runs (six earned) on eight hits over five innings.
