April 19, 2026 – Rochester, Minn.
Rochester Community and Technical College baseball delivered a dominant doubleheader sweep over Minnesota West Community & Technical College on Sunday, rolling to convincing 10–0 and 11–1 victories behind explosive offense and lockdown pitching. The two wins improved the Yellowjackets to 14–11 overall and 3–2 in conference play, while Minnesota West dropped to 13–19 and 3–6.
Game One: RCTC 10, Minnesota West 0
RCTC wasted no time setting the tone in the opener, erupting for six runs in the first two innings and never looking back. Dylan Balazovic provided the early knockout punch with a grand slam to left field in the bottom of the first, scoring Sean Postula, Jerry Fletcher, and Matt Dollaghan to give RCTC an immediate 4–0 lead.
The momentum continued in the second inning when Aiden Yochim laced a two‑run triple to center field, plating Grayson DeClue and Christian Revilla. Yochim capped off a monster game later with a two‑run home run in the sixth, giving him four RBIs on the afternoon. Connor Mathison also had an outstanding performance, going 2‑for‑4 with a double, an RBI, and two stolen bases.
On the mound, Chase Horstman was brilliant. The right-hander threw six shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six and walking none. Minnesota West threatened sparingly and never advanced a runner past second base. Sam Palfini took the loss for the Bluejays, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 5.2 innings.
Game Two: RCTC 11, Minnesota West 1
The nightcap followed a similar script, as RCTC jumped out early and piled on runs in bunches. Connor Mathison ignited the offense in the bottom of the first with a two‑run homer to right field, scoring Dollaghan. RCTC added two more runs in the inning to take a 4–0 advantage.
Minnesota West briefly responded in the second when Layke Miller hit a solo home run, accounting for the Bluejays' lone run of the game. Any momentum was quickly erased as RCTC answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a solo homer from Grayson DeClue and a two‑run single by Jerry Fletcher.
The Yellowjackets put the game out of reach in the third inning. Dollaghan delivered the decisive blow with a bases‑clearing double to center field, driving in three runs. He later scored on a wild pitch, pushing the lead to 11–1.
Aaron Terpstra was dominant on the hill in game two, striking out nine while allowing just two hits over five innings to earn the win. Minnesota West starter Keaton Husband was tagged with the loss after surrendering 11 runs in 2.2 innings.
RCTC finished the day with 22 runs, 22 hits, and strong pitching across both games, sending a clear message as conference play continues on Monday. The same two teams will play again, this time in Worthington, MN.
