ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The University of Rochester swept a softball doubleheader from Skidmore College in differing fashion in each game on Saturday afternoon. The Yellowjackets won the opener, 7-3, and took the second game, 9-0, shortened to five innings on the mercy rule.
With the victory, the Yellowjackets improve to 4-2 in the Liberty League, one game behind league-leader RPI (5-1). Rochester is 13-17 overall. Skidmore is 1-3 in the league, 9-19 overall. On Sunday, Rochester hosts Clarkson and Skidmore goes to RIT, which swept a twinbill from Clarkson Saturday.
In game one, Rochester's Eleni Wechsler out-dueled Amanda Carilli. Wechsler allowed eight hits, walked 10, and struck out 10, one shy of her career high. Carilli yielded six hits in six innings and walked one. She gave up seven runs, but four were unearned and came as a result of three Skidmore errors in a crucial fifth.
Rochester took a 2-0 lead in the second when Gianni Melillo doubled home pinch-runner Jackie Yencik and Lauren Muni. The Thoroughbreds put together four hits in their half of the third to tie the score. Jill Strileckis doubled. She moved up on a wild pitch, and one out later, Casey Attonito singled her home. Dani DeGregory and Karly Fishkin followed with singles to lead the bases. Lauren Fortunato's grounder to the left side forced DeGregory at third as Attonito scored the tying run.
In the fifth, the Yellowjackets scored five runs on two hits, a walk, and three miscues.
Rochester scored four in the bottom of the first in game two. Rachael Pletz doubled home two, then scored on Melillo's home run to left. The Yellowjackets added two more runs in the second – both unearned.
In the fifth, Elizabeth Bourne singled in a run. Kibling drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8-0, and Shelby Corning was hit by a pitch, forcing home the ninth run.
Bourne picked up her first collegiate victory. In five innings, she allowed four hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out one. She helped her own cause, going 2-3 with a single, double, and run scored. Attonito took the game two loss for Skidmore.
