Baseball splits games against Clarkson and SLU

There is an old adage in sports that a team learns the most from winning or losing close games. This weekend the UR baseball team underwent a learning experience, splitting double headers at Clarkson College and St. Lawrence Universities, winning two games by a combined two runs and losing two by four runs combined.The first game was dominated by Clarkson pitcher Dan Hojnacki. UR took an early one-run lead in the third inning, only to allow Clarkson to tie it later. In the fifth, UR responded, when junior Adam Braveman scored on freshman Nate Black’s sacrifice fly. Clarkson eventually tied the game in the seventh and went on to win on a single off senior Mark Jakubowski with two outs in the tenth inning.In the nightcap the Yellowjackets managed to pull off a one-run victory. Facing an early three-run deficit, UR rallied with one run in the second off a Clarkson error and three in the second off RBI singles by Braveman and freshman Jon Fanning. Clarkson managed to tie the game back up, but three UR runs in the sixth inning put the Yellowjackets ahead for good. Fanning rapped a two-run single driving in sophomore Chris Rosenbaum and Black. Later in the inning freshman Jon Lenardo singled home sophomore Mark Jackson and UR went on to win 7-6.Sophomore Steve Foley pitched six innings for the win, striking out three Clarkson batters, while improving to a 2-0 record. Freshman Brady Noon pitched a perfect final inning to pick up the save.At St. Lawrence University, the Yellowjackets suffered a similar fate, losing game one, while coming back to win game two. In the first game, UR lost 4-1 with its only run, scored by Jackson, coming in the second inning. St. Lawrence was led by Corey Swiniarski, who had three hits and scored three runs. In game two, UR took another one run affair, 4-3. A 2-2 tie was broken in the seventh inning after a Jackson sacrifice fly brought home senior Mike Lesczinski, who had tripled earlier in the inning. St. Lawrence rallied to tie the game at three in the bottom of the inning, only to see UR rally again. Black tripled home Braveman in the eighth inning to seal the Yellowjacket win. Pitching in relief, Jakubowksi picked up the victory, while Noon earned his second save of the weekend by only giving up one hit in the final two innings.After the weekend road trip, UR is 11-5 overall and 2-2 in University Athletic Association league play. The team is set for a long home stand featuring six games at Towers Field this week.Allard can be reached at dallard@campustimes.org.