Skidmore Day 2

Sunday was another perfect Florida day! Lots of sun and baseball!

More Rochester supporters continued to arrive and we were all in good spirits with 2 Liberty League victories in the book!

Steve Guzski started on the mound for Rochester in the first game. On Sunday, we were the away team and batted first. The boys started right away as Andy Cannon singled, Blayne Fuke singled, Jay Jay Vanderstyne was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Cannon scored when Ryan Sullivan was hit by a pitch. Matt Francis followed with a sac fly to score Fuke.

Skidmore had 2 singles in the bottom of the 1st, but Goose struck out a batter to end the threat with runners on 1st and 3rd. 2-0 UR after 1 inning of play!

In the top of the 2nd, Nate Stein walked, Dan Ludwig singled and Andy Cannon reached on an error to load the bases. Blayne Fuke single to score Stein and leave the bases loaded. Ludwig scored on a passed ball and everyone else moved up one base. Andy Cannon scored on a wild pitch and Blayne moved to 3rd. Dan Brien was hit by a pitch and Jay Jay Vanderstyne reached on an error that allowed Fuke to score but Brien was thrown out on the play. Ryan Sullivan walked as did Matt Francis to reload the bases, but the threat to blow the game open was thwarted when Alex Parker hit into an inning ending double play. UR added 4 runs on 2 hits and 2 errors to take a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the 4th inning.

Skidmore scored 3 runs on 3 hits and 1 error, but left the bases loaded to prevent further damage in the bottom of the 4th, and in the bottom of the 5th added another run to close within 6-4 as Goose made way for Alex Caghan, who got a groundout, gave up a single and then got a groundball for a doubleplay to end the inning. A pitcher's best friend!!

In the top of the 7th, UR added 2 insurance runs on a single by Alex Parker, Robby Barnard was sent to pinch run and promptly scored on Nate Stein's triple. When Andy Cannon reached on an error, Nate scored the final run of the game,

Ryan Sullivan came in in the bottom of the 7th and got a groundout, a strikeout looking and a fly out to end the game. UR won by an 8-4 score to go up 3 games to none and a sweep was now possible. Goose got the win, Caghan did a nice job in relief and Sully closed it out and shut the door on Skidmore. This was an important win in terms of league standings, because it guaranteed that the team would have a winning record against Skidmore!

Blayne Fuke led the way with 3 hits and Nate Stein had 2 in an 8 hit attack.

In game 2 - the boys once again got a run in the first inning, when Blayne Fuke singled and advanced to second on an error. Dan Brien then doubled and moved Blayne to 3rd, and he scored when Jay Jay Vanderstyne lifted a sac fly to centerfield.

Skidmore got to the UR starter Paul Toland in the bottom of the 2nd inning for a run to tie the score at 1-1, but Toland struck out the next batter to end the threat.

The 3rd inning was scoreless and UR added 2 in the top of the 4th when Steve Just singled, Matt Francis was hit by a pitch, and Dan Ludwig reached on an error to load the bases. Andy Cannon then singled to score both Just and Francis before being thrown out at second base to end the inning.

In the 5th inning Blayne Fuke manufactured a run with a single, he advanced to 2nd on a groundout, advanced to 3rd on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch to give Rochester a 4-1 lead after 5 innings.

While the offense was adding to its total, Paul Toland was spinning a masterful performance of his own in perhaps his strongest outing at Rochester. He pitched 7 innings, allowing 1 earned run and spread out 7 Skidmore hits.

In the top of the 8th, UR added 2 more runs on a Steve Just walk and a Matt Francis 2 run homerun over the leftfield wall into the dogpark!! UR now led 6-1 and Mike Wexler came in to pitch the 8th inning. He gave up a 2 out double and then got the next batter to fly out to right to end the inning with the score still 6-1 with only the 9th inning left to play.

UR could not manage to score in the top of the 9th, so up came Skidmore in the bottom of the 9th facing the very possibility of being swept again by Rochester in St. Petersburg for the 2nd year in a row! They did not go quietly. Ned Chanatry was brought in to pitch the 9th and was able to get the first batter to groundout for the first out. An error, hit batsman, and a walk loaded the bases with 1 out. A sac fly got a run home, but we were happy to trade a run for an out as there were two outs now!! only 1 more out to complete the sweep! The next batter singled to score another run and then a groundout to Brian Bezek at 2nd base ended the game and gave Rochester the sweep!!! A 4-0 Liberty League record to start the season with was certainly the best possible scenario any of us could think of!

Paul Toland picked up his 1st win of the season and Andy Cannon and Blayne Fuke had 2 hits each to lead the offense.

We had come to St. Petersburg with high expectations and were about to leave with them fulfilled. We had met and welcomed into our UR Baseball Family some new members and their families, what a great weekend!!

Several questions that had caused some fans concern during the offseason, had been answered in fine fashion by the Yellowjackets in their first outings of the season.

Who were the freshman and how would they fit into the group? Fine young men who played the game hard with a poise beyond their years!! Great job guys!

Who would be the closer? Sully!

How would the bullpen be this year? Just fine, Thank You very much!

Could UR start 2009 as they had in 2008 with a sweep of Skidmore? YES!!

Although, it was still very early in the season, we were all ecstatic with the first weekend of UR Baseball in 2009.

On to the UAA tournament!

See you at the ballpark!

Ed