Racers Extend Win Streak Taking First Two at Rochester

ROYAL OAK, MI - UNOH (12-10) pushed their win streak to nine games with wins in the first two games of a four-game series against Rochester (3-22, 1-11). The Racers revved their engines in a game one explosion 27-3, the second most runs in program history. Game two stayed close but UNOH used a four-run seventh to squeak out a 5-4 win.

Game 1: UNOH 27 Rochester 3 (7 Innings)

  The first two batters of the game went down swinging, but a walk and a double with two outs got the Racers offense going. An error scored the first two runs of the game followed by two singles that scored another. UNOH made it a four-run inning when a passed ball brought home Nolan Hull. Rochester got two back in the bottom of the frame and the second inning saw both sides go down in order. Eliomar Otero scored the only run of the third thanks to a Nolan Hull sac fly. Ben Jackson scored on an error, Erick Castro scored on a sac fly, and Darius Freeman brought in two more with a double in the fourth. The Warriors put up one in the bottom but UNOH held a 9-3 lead after five. 

Ben Jackson led off the Racer fifth with an infield single. Erick Castro walked and Diego Clariot loaded the bases with another infield hit before another walk scored the first run of the inning. Eliomar Otero hit his second sac fly of the game to score the second. Seth Freeman scored two more with a pinch-hit single to right. Ben Jackson hit a sac fly his second time up in the inning and Erick Castro brought in two with a double and Diego Clariot finished off a nine-run inning with a RBI single to left. After holding Rochester at bay in the bottom and led 18-3 after five. A single and a double got UNOH going again in the sixth. Another double and a walk loaded the bases and Brennan Green delivered with a two-RBI pinch-hit double in his first at bat of the season. The Racers weren't done, though, as Erick Castro added two more with his first triple of the season and second of his career. Tim Hanible made his first plate appearance since February 26 recording his third RBI of the season with a program record tying fifth sac fly of the game. Rochester went hitless over their final two at bats and the Racers added three more in the seventh, including the a program record tenth double of the game, to finish off their second 20+ run game of the season and their fourth straight double-digit scoring effort. 

 Erick Castro led the team with his third multi-RBI game in the last four and his second five-RBI outing of the season. Castro went 2-6 in the game scoring a career high four times. Seth Freeman, Darius Freeman and Nathan Alvarez combined for a perfect 9-9 at the plate and eight RBI. Eliomar Otero and Ben Jackson were each 3-4 with two RBI in the game.

 Rolando Heredia-Bustos (3-0) went five innings to earn the win giving up three runs off five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Tony Manzano worked a clean sixth with two strikeouts and Shane Johnson threw a hitless seventh walking two and striking out one.

Game 2: UNOH 5 Rochester 4

 Both teams threatend in the first inning of game two but neither could produce a hit in the second as the game entered the third scoreless. Rochester got on the board first in the home third and UNOH continued to sputter offensively with just two hits after four. Justice Pantone evened things with a RBI double in the fifth but an error in the bottom of the frame gave the lead right back to the Warriors. Rochester returned the favor in the seventh with Lincoln Hackim scoring off an error. With runners on the corners, Darius Freeman and Nathan Alvarez  hit back to back doubles that scored three more and UNOH took control 5-2. Two more Racer errors cost two more runs to make it 5-4, but the teams combined for just two hits over the next two innings as the Racers finished off their ninth straight win. 

Nathan Alvarez finished off his big day with two more RBI going 2-5 at the plate. Darius Freeman also went 2-5 bringing one and Erick Castro was 2-2 in the game.

 Walter Long got the start and went three and two-thirds innings giving up one run off three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Jack Olberding (1-0) tossed two and a third in relief to pick up his first win of the season. Olberding gave up two runs off just one hit striking out five and walking four. Jeremy Yurcak went the final three frames to earn his second career save. Yurcak gave up one run and one hit while striking out four. 

The Racers and Warriors wrap up their four-game series on Monday with game three first pitch scheduled for 11:00 AM.