Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROCHESTER, NY-  The Skidmore College baseball team split with the University of Rochester in the first two of four Liberty League games, Saturday afternoon at UR's Towers Field.
 
The Thoroughbreds took game one 5-1 while the Yellowjackets bounced back and took game two by a 5-3 score to end the losing streak.
 
In game one, Skidmore (7-13, 4-8 Liberty League) tagged reigning Liberty League Pitcher of the Year Jon Menke (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park) for two runs in the second inning on a Jeb Clarke (Bethel, ME/Gould Acad.) single.  Menke had loaded the bases with three walks to give Skidmore the run scoring opportunity.  After the inning, the UR senior left the game with tightness in his shoulder.
 
Skidmore would boost the lead to 5-0 over the next two innings when Jeff Spindel (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) singled in a run in the 3rd and Geoff Green (Underhill, VT/Mt. Mansfield Union) tripled in two more in the 4th off reliever Matt Todd (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C. Ketcham).
 
In the sixth, UR (8-14, 4-8 Liberty League) would get a run on the board when Brendan Garry (Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem North) grounded out to score Ethan Sander (Port Washington, NY/Schreiber) who reached via walk.
 
Skidmore's Nick Petrella (West Sayville, NY/Sayville) got the game one win pitching all 7 innings, allowing 7 hits, 1 earned run while striking out 4.  Menke took the loss and dropped to 2-2.
 
In game two, UR jumped out to an early lead with leadoff hitter Sam Slutsky (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill) scoring on a wild pitch.  Slutsky would go 2-3 with 3 runs and 2 stolen bases.
 
The visiting Thoroughbreds would answer right back with a run scoring double from Chris Lorenz (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) in the top of the 2nd.  Lorenz would also provide the next Skidmore run in the 4th, scoring Alex Pavelock (New Paltz, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) on a fielder's choice.
 
In the 4th, UR would score an unearned run on a Chris Davis (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) single to left field.  The next frame, sophomore Josh Ludwig (Victor, NY/Victor) would rip a triple down the right field line to score Slutsky and give UR the lead.  The next batter, Ken Ritchie (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) would then single through the left side with the infield in to score Ludwig.
 
In the 7th, Ludwig again would tag an extra base hit to score Slutsky for a third time, adding a much needed insurance run.  This inning, Ludwig hit a double to the base of the fence in right.  For the game, Ludwig went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored.
 
Skidmore would get a run back in the 9th off of Jeremy Diller (Martinsville, IN/Martinsville), but with the tying run at the plate, he would get Spindel looking to end the game and earn the save.
 
UR reliever Ethan McGowan (Tenafly, NJ/Tenafly) pitched a solid three innings of relief to pick up the win.  He allowed just one hit and struck out three in the outing.  Starter Josh Schulman (College Station, TX/A&M Consolidated) battled his control all game, yielding seven walks over his four innings.
 
Skidmore starter Max Martins (Newtown, MA/Newtown North) took the loss in going 6 1/3 innings, allowing 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned) while striking out 5 and walking 1.
 
The same two teams meet up again on Sunday for a doubleheader starting at 12 pm.
 
 
GAME 1
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
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Skidmore............ 021 200 0 -  5  4  0
Rochester........... 000 001 0 -  1  7  1
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GAME 2

Score by Innings                    R  H  E

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Skidmore............ 010 100 001 -  3  7  2

Rochester........... 100 120 10X -  5  8  1