Compiled by Craig Potter
Today’s SportsROC Report includes stories on the on the Rochester Red Wings shutout of Norfolk, the Rochester Rattlers win to gain a 5-way tie for first place, the Rochester Rhinos beat Montreal once again, a Pennsylvania native leads the Danielle Downey Classic after 3 rounds, and the Western New York Flash play on the West Coast.
Red Wings shuts out Norfolk for 3rd straight win
The Rochester Red Wings got a home run from rookie Daniel Palka, and a 2-run single by catcher Carlos Paulino, to spark a 4-run fourth inning en route to the 4-0 victory over the Norfolk Tides on Saturday night before a large crowd at Frontier Field.
Though starting pitcher Andrew Albers gave up 8 hits, he recorded the key outs to keep the Tides off the scoreboard in his 6 innings of work.
D.J. Boxendale and Ryan o’Rourke combined to retire 9 of the 10 batters they faced in closing out the whitewash.
The series concludes on Sunday afternoon with a 1:35 start.
*Read the full story, with video interviews, in Sports.
__________
Rattlers win, gain 5-way tie for 1st place
The Rochester Rattlers overcame a 5-goal second quarter deficit to defeat the Charlotte Hounds, 18-14, on Saturday evening at the Wegmans Sports Complex at Aquinas Institute.
The Rattlers, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Charlotte, and New York Lizards all have 6-4 records, while the Ohio Machine is 7-5 for top spot in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) standings.
The Lizards travel to Rochester next Saturday for a 5 p.m. meeting with the Rattlers.
The league really is tight this season as even the last place Florida Launch (2-7) are just 3.5 games out of first.
Trailing 8-3 midway through the second quarter, the Rattlers struck for 5 consecutive goals to even the score by halftime, 8-8.
The Rattlers forged ahead for the first time on a goal by Ned Crotty 7:18 into the third stanza. They never relinguished the lead thereafter.
Crotty paced the Rattlers with 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points. Boltus collected 4 goals and 1 assist for 5 points. Johjn Ranagan contributed 2 goals and 1 assist.
Kip Orban, Jesse King, and Jordan Wolf each scored 2 goals. Penfield native Kyle Denhoff had 1 goal and 1 assist as Mike Manley and Donny Moss added 1 goal apiece.
Goalie John Galloway made some terrific saves during the 7-goal run to keep the Hounds off the scoreboard. He finished with 16 saves.
*See some video highlights from the game in Sports.
__________
Rhinos defeat Montreal once again
The Rochester Rhinos snapped a 1-1 tie with FC Montreal and went on to post a 3-1 victory on Saturday night at Rhinos Stadium.
Steevan dos Santos broke the tie with a header to cap a corner kick as the ball came to Joe Farrell. He headed it into the turf and dos Santos headed the bounce into the net in the 53rd minute.
The Rhinos outshot Montreal, 12-10, and took 8 corner kicks, with 3 resulting in goals, to just 1 for the visitors from North of the border.
Wal Fall scored his first goal of the season, as it was the insurance goal to secure the victory.
Montreal scored the first goal of the match, but Christian Volesky knotted the game with a header off a corner kick in the 32nd minute.
With the win, Rochester (8-4-5) takes sole possession of fifth place in the USL with 29 points.
__________
PA. native leads Danielle Downey Classic after 3 rounds
GATES, N.Y. – Brittany Benvenuto (Langhorne, Pa.) made clutch par saves on 17 and 18 to retain the 54-hole lead at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic with a 7-under, 209, on Saturday at Brook-Lea Country Club.
Benvenuto carded a bogey-free 4-under, 68 to take a one shot cushion into Sunday. Sophia Popov (Heidelberg, Germany), Clariss Guce (Artesia, Calif.) and Therese O’Hara (Copenhagen, Denmark) are 6-under, 210. There are nine players, including Madelene Sagstrom and Nelly Korda, within three shots of the lead.
Benvenuto, 28, made birdies on one, four, seven and eight to jump into the lead at the turn. She made nine pars on the back nine.
“They were pretty important par saves because the whole day I was having birdie putts, but I couldn’t make any on the back nine,” said Benvenuto, who came into the day T6. “They were two par putts that I hadn’t seen all day and it was nice to drain them both.”
Benvenuto said she came into the event with no expectations and has even surprised herself so far.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball great coming into the tournament and I came out not expecting too much and I guess that kind of works in golf,” said Benvenuto. “It has been fun to stay in each shot and see what it does and I’m actually surprising myself a bit.”
The former University of Arizona golfer missed the cut last year in Rochester with rounds of 74-79. This time around has been much different with steadily improving rounds of 72-69-68.
Bevenuto and Popov will tee at 1:30 p.m. The trophy ceremony will take place on the 18th green immediately following play.
*Read the full story in Sports.
__________
Flash hope to maintain strong form on roadtrip
The Western New York Flash (8-4-0) are hoping to continue their winning ways away from home, when they travel to Seattle, Washington, to take on the Seattle Reign FC (4-4-4) on Saturday.
The Flash have won six of their last seven games and have set the table ablaze, moving all the way within two points of the first place Portland Thorns FC. In the seven home games, the Flash were able to score 22 goals.
In last week’s match, the Flash hosted Seattle and came away with a 3-2 win at Frontier Field. Captain Abby Erceg was crucial with two goals and an assist, while forward Lynn Williams scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute. Williams currently leads the league with 7 goals scored.
Saturday’s match in Seattle will be the Flash’s first match away from home since May 14.
The match is scheduled to kickoff at Memorial Stadium at 10 p.m. ET, with a live stream available at youtube.com/NWSL.
The Flash will return home to Rochester Rhinos Stadium on July 23 when they play host to FC Kansas City at 7 p.m.