UTICA, N.Y. – Cara Celorio singled home pinch-runner Natalee Sassaman in the top of the eighth to snap a 4-4 tie and lead Rochester to a softball sweep (3-1, 5-4) of Utica College.

The Yellowjackets won game two, 5-4, after the Pioneers rallied from a 4-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth. In game one, Rochester used solo home runs from Lindsay Macaluso and Nikki Lee DiSalvio to take a 3-1 lead in the sixth.

Sara Hutchinson earned the win in both games. In the opener, she scattered five hits over seven innings with one earned run allowed, walked one, and struck out nine. She gave up three straight hits in the bottom of the third as Utica took a 1-0 lead. Hutchinson set down 15 of the last 16, six by strikeout (including five of the last six).

In game two, she relieved Madeline Skellie to start the seventh. She gave up two hits in two innings, struck out one, and did not issue a walk.

Utica led, 1-0, through four innings of the opener and the Yellowjackets had only one hit. In the fifth, Kim Grimes doubled to right center. She moved to third on a groundout, and scored on M.C. Wagner's single. One inning later, Macaluso hit a one-out HR to center to put Rochester ahead. After Katie McLean flied out, DiSalvio hit another HR to center for the 3-1 edge.

Rochester built a 4-0 lead in game two. Juliana Nicholson singled, moved up on a bunt single, and stole home in the second inning for the game's first run. Rochester got two in the fifth on a Macaluso walk, a bunt single by McLean, then RBI hits by DiSalvio and Grimes. The Yellowjackets tacked on one more in the sixth. With two down, Celorio and Macaluso reached on errors and McLean doubled Celorio home.

The Pioneers muscled back into it in their half of the sixth. A walk, a single, a triple, a sacrifice fly, and a solo home run got the home team even.

In Rochester's half of the eighth, Wagner was placed on second base as the tiebreaker procedure. Sassaman entered as a pinch-runner. She was bunted to third. Melissa Altemose struck out before Celorio singled for the run. Macaluso followed with a single, sending Celorio to third, but Macaluso was thrown out attempting to steal for the third out.

Rochester is 20-13 overall. The Yellowjackets will host St. Lawrence and RPI on Saturday and Sunday at GLC Field.