The Hobart baseball team split a doubleheader at Rochester Friday afternoon, shutting out the Yellowjackets in the finale 7-0. UR won the opener 5-2.
Sophomore Jack Byrnes had a strong day at the plate, going 5-for-9 including a double. Senior Nate Johnson was 3-for-7 with four stolen bases, two runs scored and a RBI.
In Game 2, Hobart (12-6, 3-3 Liberty League) used four pitchers to contain the Yellowjackets’ offense. Senior Griffin Snyder got through three innings, working around trouble. He gave up five hits and walked four, but he stranded five runners and benefited from a double play in the third.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the third, the Statesmen strung together three straight hits. Sophomore Sean Garvin got it started with a two-run single to center. Junior Nate Garrett and Brynes followed with RBI singles for a 4-0 lead. Byrnes finished the game 4-for-5, the first four-hit game by a Statesman this season.
Hobart padded its lead with one run in the fourth, eighth and ninth innings, although the insurance was hardly needed.
Sophomore Alex Frank came on in relief with two on in the fourth. He got out of the jam with a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play. Junior Cole Tarrant followed giving up just two hits while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings. Sophomore Charlie Forrest recorded the final four outs to nail down the win.
“It was a great team win,” Hobart Head Coach Brad Cook said. “It’s one of the first games which we hit, played great D and pitched outstanding. Jack Byrnes with a four-hit game. Griff competed coming back on short rest. Frank coming in and getting a huge strikeout and the double play changed the game. I can’t say enough about Cole Tarrant’s performance, his best one yet, and Forrest closed the door. We got up on them early and never gave them a chance.”
In the opener, Hobart took the lead in the second inning. Junior Will Jones led off with a single to left. Then, with one out, first-year Jack Farnen tripled down the left field line, scoring Jones. First-year Jay Voica’s sacrifice fly brought Farnen home.
Sophomore Trevor Kimball protected the lead throughout his six innings of work. He scattered seven hits, allowing just one run, while striking out five.
Rochester (9-8, 4-2) pulled even in the seventh and took the lead with a three-run eighth. Colby Cruser’s sacrifice fly gave the Yellowjackets the lead. Josh Leadem added an RBI single and Ethan Jaquette tacked on an RBI double.
The Statesmen drew a pair of walks to bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, but Leadem came in to earn a two-pitch save, inducing a lineout to right.
Hobart will return home for its next three-game series, hosting Liberty League rival Clarkson (8-6, 2-3) on April 4-5.
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