BRONX – The Yeshiva University baseball team finished the 2022 season by suffering two hard-fought losses in extra innings to Lehman College at the South Field on Friday afternoon. Lehman won the first game in eight innings, 8-6, while YU dropped the second end in eight innings by a score of 12-11. Each game was a scheduled seven-inning affair.

With the game tied at five in the top of the eighth inning of game one, Yeshiva (2-27) had two runners on base and two outs. Senior Jacob Schwartzman came through in the clutch with a ground-rule double to right that scored sophomore Sammy Greenberg to give the Maccabees a 6-5 advantage. However, in the home half of the eighth, junior Jeremmy Santos drilled a three-run home run to right center to win the game for the Lightning (8-17) after they trailed 5-0 earlier in the game.

In game two, Yeshiva trailed 11-9 heading into the top of the seventh inning. Junior Ari Rosenberg stepped up to the plate, with the bases loaded and one out, and laced the ball to left field for a base hit that scored sophomore Joshua Mintz and senior Adam Zahler to tie the game, 11-11. However, in the bottom of the eighth, Lehman had a chance with runners on first and second, two outs. Senior Justin Nunez delivered with a base hit to left field to score classmate Ranssel Pinedo and give the Lightning their second walk-off victory of the afternoon.

Yeshiva outhit Lehman in both ends of the doubleheader, 15-10 in game one and 14-12 in game two. Schwartzman had a big afternoon, going 6-for-9 with four RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base in a span of two games.

In the opening game, Schwartzman went 4-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base for the Macs. Mintz had a strong game at the plate and on the mound. The Los Angeles native produced two hits and he struck out three opposing batters in 2.1 innings of relief.

Senior Max Leibowitz led off the first game with a double to right center field. He stole third base and then eventually scored on an RBI groundout by sophomore Sammy Greenberg to give the Maccabees a 1-0 advantage. The next batter was senior David Kreisberg who rifled a ground-rule double to left field. However, Lehman was able to escape the inning without giving up any more runs. In the bottom of the first, Greenberg was behind the plate and threw out two Lehman runners trying to steal during the frame, one to second and one to third, that allowed YU to retain its 1-0 advantage after a full inning in the books.

In the top of the third, Yeshiva had runners on second and third with nobody out. Kreisberg delivered with an RBI single to center that scored Mintz and extended the Macs' lead to 2-0. YU still had runners on the corners with nobody out but could not push across any more runs in the inning.

The Maccabees added three runs in the fourth. Zahler produced an RBI single, while Greenberg drove in two runs with a single of his own.

However, the Lightning answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth and still had the bases loaded. Graduate student Dovie Solomon, YU's starting pitcher, did not give in as he was able to strike out the opposing batter with all three ducks on the pond to escape the inning without more damage. In the bottom of the fifth, Lehman was able to cash in as senior Nick Smith belted a three-run home run to tie the game at five. It was Smith's first collegiate hit of his career.

That would be the score all the way until the eighth inning when Schwartzman delivered the big hit to give the Macs the lead. But then, Santos' blast gave Lehman the come-from-behind win.

For the Maccabees, Zahler went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Kreisberg had three hits in five at bats, while Greenberg had a pair of hits, three runs batted in, and a stolen base. Leibowitz scored twice, drew a pair of walks, and stole a base. He finished the season successfully stealing 19 bases in 19 attempts. On the mound, Solomon struck out six batters in five innings pitched.

For Lehman, junior David Torres got the win out of the bullpen by pitching three innings and fanning five hitters.

The Maccabees got off to another good start in game two, by scoring three runs in the opening frame. Kreisberg drilled a double that scored Leibowitz to give the Macs the early 1-0 advantage. After Mintz scored YU's second run, senior SJ Tannenbaum raked a double that allowed Kreisberg to cross home plate and extend the Blue and White's benefit to 3-0.

After Lehman got a run back in the bottom of the inning, Yeshiva tacked on three more runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Schwartzman.

The Lightning's bats exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, and then the home team tacked on a run in the fourth and then a run in the fifth, to take the lead, 7-6.

Yeshiva was able to grab the momentum back in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded, and nobody out, Greenberg was hit by a pitch which allowed Kreisberg to score the game-tying run. In the next at bat, senior Justin Hanelin produced an RBI groundout to score Schwartzman and propel YU to the lead once again, 8-7. Rosenberg scored YU's third run of the inning, this time off a passed ball, to inflate Yeshiva's benefit to 9-7.

Lehman answered right back in the home half of the sixth inning, as senior Eamon Maher came up with the bases loaded and two outs. He cleared the bases with a double to left center that propelled the Lightning to a 10-9 advantage. Lehman added one more run before the inning concluded to put YU in a two-run hole heading to the seventh and final scheduled inning.

Rosenberg's heroics allowed YU to tie the game at 11 in the top of the seventh. In the home half of the inning, senior Rafi Jacobs retired Lehman's lineup in order to to force extra innings. After Yeshiva went scoreless in the eighth, Nunez came up big for Lehman with the game-winning walk-off single to secure the home team's second extra-inning victory of the day.

For the Maccabees, Jacobs concluded his collegiate career by pitching a complete game and fanning six Lehman hitters. Schwartzman went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Rosenberg had two hits in four at bats and drew a walk. Kreisberg went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and an RBI groundout. Tannenbaum also had two hits. Mintz had three singles, while senior Leib Fant drew a walk and scored a run. Classmate Judah Blonder went 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Hanelin drew a walk. For the second time this afternoon, Leibowitz led off the game with a double. 

For the Lightning, Pinedo got the win by not surrendering an earned run during his three innings of relief.

The Yeshiva University baseball team will return to the field in 2023.