ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team defeated the University of Rochester, 12-11, on Friday evening at Towers Fields in what was supposed to be a game played on South Hill, but due to recent weather, the game was relocated. Ithaca is now 7-4 on the season and 1-0 in the Liberty League.

Ithaca fell behind the Yellowjackets, 3-0, after the top of the second inning before scoring their first run of the game. Isaiah Smith drove home Lucas Orlovitz in the bottom half of the second on a single to make it 3-1.

In the bottom of the third, Anthony Mestre scored on an infield error off the bat of Orlovitz for a 3-2 difference, but UR answered with a two-run triple in the top of the fourth.

The Bombers then plated five runs in the bottom of the fourth on just one hit. Smith scored the first run of the frame on a bases loaded walk to Sheldon Jay Walker III and then Mestre drove in a pair with a base hit to left-center, bringing home Liam Tiernan and Owen Callahan. Another bases loaded walk to Camden Laney gave IC the lead at 6-5 and another run scored on a groundout by Matt Curtis to give the Bombers a 7-5 edge.

After a run from Rochester in the sixth, Ethan Fantel blasted a solo home run to keep Ithaca ahead by two runs at 8-6. Rochester scored once in the seventh, but the Bombers pushed across three runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 11-7 as Smith drove in Fantel on a groundout and then Callahan ripped a two-run double to score Orlovitz and Laney.

Rochester attempted a comeback in the ninth with three runs but the game came to an end on back-to-back strikeouts by Luke Zelinko.

Jack Picozzi improved to 2-0 on the season as he tossed 5.0 innings and stuck out seven batters. Zelinko picked up his third save of the year with a scoreless ninth.