TROY, N.Y. – Matt Cappelletti hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the 12th inning to send the University of Rochester baseball team past Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 14-13, on Sunday afternoon at Robison Field at Karl Steffen Ballpark. With the win, the Yellowjackets improve to 13-4 overall (3-0 Liberty League), while the Engineers drop to 7-8 (0-3 Liberty League).

Rochester got on the board first in the top if the first, when Aaron Whitley walked to lead off the game, stole second, advanced to third on sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch by RPI starting pitcher Ben Koomey.

The Yellowjackets pushed their lead to 4-0 with a three-run top of the third. Three straight singles opened the frame, before shortstop Joseph Rende homered to right with one aboard.

RPI answered with a seven-run bottom of the inning, highlighted by a game-tying grand slam off the bat of graduate student Jake Defayette. Seniors Cole Paquin and George Rainer followed with run-scoring singles to give the hosts a 7-4 lead after three.

After a scoreless fourth, the Yellowjackets put together a five-run top of the fifth to retake the lead at 9-7. Designated hitter Luke Piontek doubled to the gap in left center to score two, before a hit by pitch with the bases loaded tied the game at 7-7. A single down the line in left from Dan Tirabassi plated two, giving Rochester a two-run advantage.

The Engineers took the lead right back with a three-run sixth. Junior Martin Marinchev scored Defayette with a single to right, before Paquin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to knot the score at 9-9. A sac fly from freshman Ayush Krishnappa then made it 10-9 RPI.

Rochester got the three runs back in the ensuing half inning, with Whitley and Rende delivering back-to-back RBI-singles for a 12-10 edge.

In the bottom half, RPI pulled even, thanks a two-run single by Marinchev that brought home Peter Close and Defayette. The Engineers then took a 13-12 lead in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of a wild pitch that scored Joey Saia, who walked to lead-off the frame.

The Yellowjackets then used three doubles in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 12-apiece. Rende was caught trying to steal third ahead of a John Moses double, which kept the game tied.

RPI's Thomas Neuman and Rochester's Thomas Karpshin locked in an extra-inning duel on the hill, with each putting up zeros in the 10th and 11th innings.

In the 12th, Rende led off with a hit by pitch. Moses then attempted to move him up with a sacrifice, but the bunt was popped in the air to Neuman, who wound up dropping the ball. Catcher Hudson Livesey alertly threw to second and the Engineers were able to complete the double-play as Moses had already started to make his way back to the dugout.

Cappelletti then hit the first pitch he saw from Neuman over the fence in right to give the visitors a 14-13 lead. Karpishin (4-1) worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to secure the victory on the mound. He allowed one hit over 3.2 innings, striking out one.

Neuman (0-1) surrendered two runs on five hits over 4.0 innings. He struck out two and did not walk a batter. Koomey gave up nine runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings, with three strikeouts and four walks.

Offensively, the Engineers were led by Defayette, who went 3 for 5 with a home run, three runs scored and four runs batted in. Marinchev finished 3 for 6 with two runs and three RBIs, while Rainer went 3 for 7 with two runs and one RBI.

The Engineers are back in action on Tuesday, when they host Middlebury for a non-league game (4pm). Rochester hosts Vassar for three next weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday (12pm).