Baseball bludgeons Medaille

Head Coach Joe Reina was just looking for a chance for his team to get a game in. “It’s been rough. We’ve been able to practice, but it was important to get out and hit the ball and play, just to let us iron some kinks out before conference play,” Reina said after his team’s double-header against Medaille College on Wednesday. If these two games are any indication, the kinks have been ironed out.The Yellowjackets scored 27 runs and had 20 hits in their two wins. The first game featured offensive firepower from both teams, but UR came out on top 17-10. In the second game, senior pitcher Justin Sansone and sophomore Jordan Estey shut out Medaille, while the Yellowjacket’s bats still surged in an 11-0 victory. The wins improved the team’s record to 9-3.UR began the first inning of the first game with a furious seven-run outburst. Sophomore Mark Jackson drove in three runs with a line drive home run to left field. A double by freshman Jon Fanning and singles by sophomore Dan Phofl and junior Adam Braveman brought in the final four runs that capped the inning.Medaille did not immediately fold amid early adversity. Behind the hitting of catcher Steve Greico and outfielder Eric Saladin, the Mavericks forced starter freshman Hunter Hawkins out of the game by the third inning and tied the game at eight by the fifth inning.UR rose to the challenge, however, putting the game out of reach with five runs in the latter innings. Another Fanning double and Phofl single coupled with a single by junior Scott Smith provided all the run support freshman reliever Brady Noon would need to close out the game and pick up the save. Fanning went three for three at bat with two doubles in the win.The second game featured the same offensive firepower from the Yellowjackets, but the Medaille bats were silenced by Sansone, who pitched six innings – relinquishing one hit and producing ten strikeouts and only two walks. Estey pitched the rest of the way without giving up a hit.At the plate, the Yellowjacktes scored often and early. Sophomore Chris Rosenbaum tripled early in the first inning, scoring Smith. Rosenbaum later scored on a balk and ended with three runs scored, two walks and a hit.The final nine runs of the game came in the fourth and fifth innings for the Yellowjackets. Senior Mike Lesczinski cleared the bases with a triple in the third inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly. Five separate Yellowjackets recorded hits in the five-run fifth inning.Reina was impressed with his clubs overall performance. “Without a doubt, [these two games] helped us out as a team. Heading into conference play, this is what we needed.” Conference play begins this weekend as UR travels to play Clarkson University and St. Lawrence University.Allard can be reached at dallard@campustimes.org.