ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After a game one loss, the Skidmore College baseball team defeated host University of Rochester 5-3 in an elimination game to force a deciding third game of the Liberty League Crossover Series. Rochester won the back-and-forth opener, 8-7.
 

• The deciding game three is scheduled for Sunday with first pitch at 12 p.m. There is rain in the forecast in the area on Sunday.

 
Rochester 8, Skidmore 7

• Luke Gregory hit a two-out RBI single in the seventh to break a 7-7 tie for Rochester. It proved to hold as the game winner as Skidmore stranded the tying run in scoring position in the top of the ninth to give the hosts a 1-0 series lead.
• Josh Leadem got the save for Rochester, leaving the tying and go-ahead runs on base. With one out in the ninth, Trey Bourque reached on a throwing error and switched spots with Zachary Leiderman on a fielder's choice. Pinch runner Mac Cady went to second on a passed ball. Owen Roy walked before Leadem got the last out on a swinging strikeout.
• Rochester scored twice in the first and another in the third to take a 3-0 lead.
• The Thoroughbreds took the lead, scoring five times in the fifth, highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of Bourque. Skidmore scored its first run two batters earlier on a Nate Vandersea RBI groundout. Ewen Donald singled to score Skidmore's fifth run, but the inning ended on a tag out at the plate.
• Dylan Stezzi scored a pair for the Yellowjackets with a ground-rule double, tying the game at five in the bottom of the fifth. Leadem hit a two-run blast over the fence in left field one batter later to give Rochester the lead back.
• Two unearned runs came across for Skidmore in the sixth on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt to first to tie it back up at seven.
• Skidmore went to the bullpen in the seventh, but not before Alec Ellison hit a leadoff double. He moved to third on a bunt against relief pitcher Grayden Harris, and scored on Gregory's single to right. Rochester later had two runners in scoring position before Harris was able to keep it right there and end the inning.
• Both teams were retired in order in the eighth.
• Roy finished 3-for-4. Leiderman, Donald, and Shaw Pedemonti each had two hits in four at bats.
• Stezzi and Leadem both drove in three runs for the Yallowjackets.

 
Skidmore 5, Rochester 3

• Shaw Pedemonti doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out in the eighth before back-to-back RBI singles from Sam Kornet and Eddie Galvao gave Skidmore the 5-3 lead.
• Skidmore closer Christian Giresi retired each of the six batters he faced over the final two innings to win it for the Thoroughbreds. He recorded a strikeout, three ground outs, and a fly out to earn his second save of the year.
• Skidmore had recorded just one hit between the outburst in the top of the eighth and when it scored three runs in the first.
• The Thoroughbreds had Rochester starter Mark Aaronson on the ropes. The first two batters of the game (Jaden Torrado and Bourque) singled and Leiderman walked to load the bases. Roy ripped a single through the right side to bring in a pair. Donald followed it up with another RBI single. Skidmore had three in and two on before Aaronson recorded an out.
• The Yellowjacket starter settled down, getting through the inning without allowing it to escalate further. He kept the Skidmore bats in check from that point on.
• A Roy two-out double in the fifth was Skidmore's only hit rest of Aaronson's outing.
• Skidmore starter Quinn Hocom was rolling through four before running into trouble in the fifth. Gregory tripled to lead off the inning and scored on a Sammy Besztery single. Then, a walk and sacrifice bunt put the tying runs in scoring position for the top of the order. Leadoff man Jackson Reed was out trying to bunt for a single before Colby Cruser came through with a single to score both runners. He was out trying to stretch it to two, ending the inning.
• Hocom worked around a one-out hit batter to finish his day. He went 6.0 innings, surrendering three runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
• Reliever Sam Dalsimer faced a pickle in the third. Rochester had the go-ahead run at third with one out after a triple by Besztery. With the infield drawn in, the righty got a strikeout for the second out before inducing an infield pop out to get out of it.
• Donald got Skidmore's rally started in the eighth by walking with one out.
• Roy walked and stole second in the ninth, but Skidmore was unable to bring him around for more insurance.