ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL – Washington held off Rochester's rally this time and got three straight two-out RBI hits as the Bears posted a 7-3 victory over the Yellowjackets in the UAA Softball Championships on Friday afternoon.
 
The loss drops Rochester into a tie for third place with Case Western Reserve. Both teams are 4-3 in the tournament and face each other on Saturday afternoon. Washington holds down first place at 6-1 (14-3 overall) with Emory second at 5-2. Rochester is 6-4 overall with the loss to Washington.
 
Just like the first meeting, Washington jumped in front early, building a 4-0 lead through one and a half. Adrienne White drove in three of her four RBIs in the first two at-bats. She singled home a run in the first inning, then doubled in two more in the second. Washington scored one unearned run in the first and another in the second.
 
The Yellowjackets got back into it quickly in the second against Maggie Clapp (who started the first game between these two teams on Tuesday. With one out, Sarah Wyason singled. After Clapp fanned Gabi Alatore, Steph Brunet doubled into right center, moving Wayson to third. Kayla Kibling singled to left, scoring both women. Kibling took second on the throw home and when that was off-line, she made it to third base. Clapp was relieved by Mackenzie Gauden who retired Ashley Murillo on a bouncer to third.
 
Rochester starter Eleni Wechsler found her stride after the first two innings. She yielded a walk to Janet Taylor leading off the third, then retired 10 straight into the sixth inning.
 
Meanwhile, Rochester nibbled for a third run to close the gap to 4-3. With one down in the fifth, Brittany Grage doubled to left center and Jocelyn Blackshear ran for her. Gauden left, replaced by Annie Pitkin. Wechsler lined out to center with Sydney Caldwell catching it just in front of the wall. Blackshear tagged and moved to third. Lauren Muni, who had a key bunt single vs. Washington on Tuesday, hit a slow roller up the first base line. The Bears couldn't get to it, giving Muni an infield single and an RBI when Blackshear dashed home. Pitkin struck out Julia Liberto to end the fifth.
 
Washington, ranked #23 in this week's Division III poll (Rochester is #19), broke it open with three runs in the top of the seventh once two were down. Alyssa Wilson singled. Wechsler fanned Paige Biles  and retired Kenzie James on a ground ball to second (which moved Wilson to second). A passed ball got Wilson to third. White doubled her home and was replaced by Ashley Madsen as a runner. Hannah Mehrle doubled and Taylor singled to boost the Bear lead to 7-3. Alatorre took over on the mound. She walked Brooke Hofer, then got pinch-hitter Anna McKee on a grounder to Kibling at short.
 
Pitkin set down Rochester in order in the seventh to earn her second save of the year. Gauden picked up the wi. She is 3-0. Wechsler was the losing pitcher (3-2).