SALISBURY, MD – Rochester had a chance to get out and play in what may be the earliest season opener for softball. The Yellowjackets dropped a tough 8-6 decision to Salisbury University in the opener of what was a back-and-forth contest throughout. The Seagulls made it a sweep with an 11-3 victory in game two, shortened by the run rule.
 
Salisbury is among Others Receiving Votes in the Top 25 poll of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. After a day off for expected inclement weather, the Yellowjackets will get back into it on Sunday when they face 18^th-ranked College of New Jersey and then tangle with Salisbury again.
 
UR jumped ahead 3-0 in the first, saw the hosts move ahead 4-3 in the second, tied it on a home run in the third, fell behind by a run in the fifth, went ahead by one in the sixth, fell behind 8-6 in the bottom of the sixth, then got the first two on in the seventh before Salisbury was able to close out the game.
 
Rochester compiled seven hits and seven walks against Salisbury starter Jillian Jones. She had a bit of first-inning wildness and Rochester turned that into three runs.
 
After retiring Harleigh Kaczegowicz on a groundout, Jones walked Marissa Russo, Alexis Pope, and Alizah Ayon. Jessica Conforti walked to force home Russo. Jen Carson singled to left. Pope scored. Ayon went to third and when the ball was misplayed, she came home.
 
The Seagulls sent eight to the plate in the second and scored four runs off Hannah Leahy. Rochester got even in the third. Ayon hit her first collegiate home run, a one-out shot to left, to tie the score. Salisbury put together three straight singles in the fifth along with a groundout to edge in front, 5-4.
 
Rochester still had one more rally left in the sixth. Lydia Petricca singled to right. After pinch-hitter Abby Broomfield flied out, Anne Marie Cortes walked. Kaczegowicz ripped a single to left, scoring Petricca with the tying run. She took second on the throw home and Cortes moved to third. Russo walked. Ball four glanced off the catcher's glove high. That scored Cortes for a 6-5 lead.
 
Salisbury scored three in the sixth. After a fielding error, Emily Allen tripled to the base of the right field wall. Leahy departed and was replaced by Liz Bourne. She hit one batter, then yielded an RBI single. The eighth run of the game came after another fielding error.
 
In the UR seventh, Ayon steered a single to right. Conforti singled. Ayon moved up on a wild pitch and Conforti eventually got to second. Carson grounded out with the runners holding. Petricca slapped a grounder to the left side of the infield. Ayon was thrown out at the plate. Jones completed the win by retiring Bourne on a popup.
 
Leahy went 5.1 innings, giving up 10 hits, seven runs (six earned) with two walks and two strikeouts. Bourne threw 0.2 innings. She allowed one hit and one unearned run.
 
In the nitecap, Salisbury scored three runs in the first on three hits off Addy Szczerba. The home team lead went to 10-0 after two on five hits, one walk, and one hit batsman. Three of those runs were unearned.

Rochester got a run back in the top of the third. Russo doubled home Kaczegowicz. Salisbury matched it in the bottom of the third. UR scored twice in the fifth. Ayon singled home two runs.