Courtesy of UofRAthletics.com
No. 18 University of Rochester softball finished off the regular season with a program-record 32 regular season wins, sweeping their doubleheader against the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds on Sunday at Southside Field. Rochester came from behind to take game one, 3-1, before scoring nine runs in the bottom of the fifth to finish off the doubleheader sweep with a five-inning, run-rule shortened 8-1 win.
With the two wins, Rochester wraps up the regular season at 32-6 (13-1 LL), while the Thoroughbreds finish the year at 10-22 (3-11 LL).
GAME ONE: #18 Rochester 3, Skidmore 1
UR starter Molly Broccolo stranded a pair in the top of the first, striking out Erin Gibbons to leave runners at first and second in the top of the first, but the Thoroughbreds would stretch out three hits in the next frame and plate a run to take the lead in the top of the second.
With two outs, the Thoroughbreds hit three-straight singles off Broccolo, the last of which came off the bat of Meghan Robertson and brought Franny Casillas in to score to give Skidmore a 1-0 lead.
Broccolo then got Melissa Mathias to ground out to prevent any more damage, and after the first-year settled in with a quick top of the third, the ‘Jackets got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame.
Molly Mason led off the inning with a single and stole second and third to give the ‘Jackets a runner in scoring position with nobody out. Two batters later, Ally Kim reached on an infield single just out of the reach of Gibbons, bringing Mason in to score to even the score at one-all.
And after Broccolo worked another scoreless frame in the top of the fourth, Rochester tacked on two more to take the lead in the bottom of the frame.
Jenna Gorecki worked a leadoff walk, and Jensen Sminchak, who pinch-ran for Gorecki, stole second and later on third following Madi Turner’s hit-by-pitch. Savannah Nowak then reached on a fielder’s choice, and Sminchak beat the throw home to give UR a 2-1 advantage, before Mason stroked an RBI single to right, scoring Turner to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
Lauren Keys relieved Broccolo to start the fifth, and the sophomore made quick work on the Thoroughbreds, setting down the first eight batters she faced before Robertson’s two-out single in the top of the seventh. However, Keys would then get Mathias to pop out to end the threat and finish off the 3-1 victory.
Broccolo (17-2) earned the win, allowing one run on five hits over 4.0 innings pitched, while Keys picked up a save, allowing just one hit and striking out three over 3.0 innings of relief.
For the Thoroughbreds, Lindsey Raimondi (6-12) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits, walking and striking out four over 6.0 innings pitched.
At the plate, Mason went 3-for-3 with a run scored and RBI to lead the Yellowjackets, while Kim added another hit and RBI, going 1-for-3.
GAME TWO: #18 Rochester 9, Skidmore 1 (5 inn.)
With light rain coming down for much of the contest, Skidmore would again strike first after the ‘Jackets left runners on base in both the first and second innings.
In the circle for Rochester, Emily Sharlach cruised through the first three frames, allowing just one hit over her first 10 batters faced, but the Thoroughbreds would load the bases in the top of the fourth and plate the game’s first run.
A pair of singles by Chloe Mcgonagle and Grace O’Connell as well as a hit-by-pitch drawn by Gibbons loaded the bases for Claire Stone, who found a hole in the right side of the infield, bringing home Mcgonagle to give Skidmore a 1-0 lead.
UR though, would make a pitching change, again bringing Keys out of the ‘pen, and the sophomore worked out the inning without allowing another run, striking out Carolina Garcia and getting Casillas to ground out to first to strand all three base runners.
The ‘Jackets bats though, would remain silent in the fourth, but after Keys put up another zero on the scoreboard in the fifth, Rochester scored nine runs in the bottom of the frame for a walk-off, run-rule victory.
Kim got the inning started and scored a run all by herself, legging out an infield single and stealing both second and third with an errant throw from Skidmore’s catcher bringing the sophomore home to even the score at 1-1.
Bailey Nicholoff then nearly replicated Kim’s feat, singling to second and stealing second and third, before Gorecki reached on an error, allowing Nicholoff to score to make it a 2-1 UR lead.
Loren Castilloux pinch-ran for Gorecki and the Thoroughbreds made a pitching change, but back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Jensen Sminchak, who knocked in a pair with a two-run single to make it 4-1 in favor of the Yellowjackets.
Mason followed with a two-run double, making it 6-1, before Skidmore made another pitching change, but the run-scoring would continue. Nowak reached on a fielder’s choice, and Allison Beckwith smacked an RBI single to center to make it 7-1, before a walk and a pair of wild pitches brought Nowak in to score to make it an 8-1 lead.
Then on Nicholoff’s fielder’s choice, Klee was tagged out in a rundown, but Kim came all the way around to score from second, giving the Yellowjackets a 9-1, five-inning, run-rule-shortened victory.
Keys (4-2) earned the win in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two over 1.2 innings pitched, while Sharlach allowed just one run on four hits over 3.1 innings pitched.
Robertson (2-10) got the start and took the loss for Skidmore, allowing three runs on four hits over 4.1 innings pitched.
Mason (1-for-3 with a double and a run scored) and Sminchak (1-for-4 with a run scored) each drove in a pair, while Kim and Nicholoff each swiped two bags. Keiper and Kim each drew two walks, while eight different Yellowjackets scored a run in the nine-run fifth inning.
The Yellowjackets wrap up the regular season at 32-6 (13-1) and will next head to Troy, NY for the 2023 Liberty League Softball Tournament, with their first-round opponent and game time to be announced early this week.
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