SOUTHSIDE FIELD – On a day when her mom threw out a ceremonial first pitch, sophomore Addy Szczerba threw a complete game six hit victory as Rochester split a softball doubleheader with St. John Fisher College.
 
The Cardinals won the opener, 3-2, behind a five-hitter from Emily Trotman. Rochester won the nitecap, 6-1, with some clutch hitting and two sparkling defensive plays to maintain the lead. St. John Fisher is 8-9 overall. Rochester is 4-10 heading into the opening of the Liberty League season this weekend. Skidmore College comes to Southside Field on Saturday and 20^th-ranked RPI pays a visit on Sunday.
 
Before the game, players and coaches from both teams and coaching staffs paid tribute to those fighting breast cancer. Both head coaches are survivors of the disease along with mothers of players in both lineups.
 
Game One: St. John Fisher 3, Rochester 2
Cardinal freshman Rachel Evans picked a perfect time for her first collegiate home run. She hit a three-run home run off Rochester's Elizabeth Bourne in the top of the first. It put the guests ahead, 3-0, and they maintained that.
 
Trotman helped her own cause in the first inning, lining a one-out single to left. Ashley Prince bounced a single up the middle to advance Trotman to third. Evans drove a 2-2 pitch over the left centerfield fence to plate three runs.
 
Bourne was in control after that. She retired14 straight – from the end of the first (Jessica Sardina grounded to third) to the top of the sixth (Prince's one-out hard grounder was booted). Fisher managed three baserunners against Bourne in the last six innings.
 

Trotman was strong throughout. She hit a rocky patch in the bottom of the sixth that resulted in one unearned run and UR left the bases loaded. The Yellowjackets scored I the bottom of the first. Alexis Pope singled and Alizah Ayon hit a long single to the base of the centerfield wall that scored Pope, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
 
Jessica Conforti singled with two down in the second and moved to second on a passed ball. Trotman caught Marissa Russo looking at strike three to end the inning.
 
In the fifth, Conforti hit another one out single. Russo bunted her to third, but Trotman inducted a groundout by Harleigh Kaczegowicz.
 
UR staged a rally in the sixth. Pope singled through the right side. Ayon reached on an infield error. A bunt by Toni Anne Hahn advanced both women. Pinch-hitter Lydia Petricca ended a 10-pitch at-bat (she fouled off six of seven pitches at one point) with a sac fly to left. Pope scored unearned and pinch-runner Sammi Re moved to third. Bourne walked to put runners at the corners and Kathleen Desmond ran for her. Pinch-hitter Rachael Pletz was hit by a pitch (her fourth HBP this season and 31^st in her career) to load the bases. Conforti popped up to end the inning. In the seventh, Trotman retired the Yellowjackets in order.
 
Over seven innings, she allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), walked one, fanned tow, and hit one. She improved to 6-4. Bourne gave up six hits in seven innings, three earned runs, walked none and fanned one. She is 2-4.
 
Game Two: Rochester 6, St. John Fisher 1
The Yellowjackets were helped by five walks and two hit batsmen. The freebies either started an inning or helped continue it, but none of those passes crossed the plate.
 
Six players had hits for Rochester – Kaczegowicz was 2-3 with two RBIs and Hahn drove in two runs as well – a solo HR and  a sac fly. In five of the six innings, Rochester's leadoff runner reached base and four of them scored.
 
UR nudged ahead in the second. Petricca doubled to center. Hahn was hit by a pitch and Szczerba walked to fill the bases with no outs. Conforti flied to left, scoring Petricca. Russo bounced to third with the runners advancing but a popout by Re ended the inning.
 
The Yellowjacket defense made two key plays – in back to back innings – to keep Fisher off the scoreboard. With one down and runners on second and third (Mary-Claire Grosvenor singled and starting pitcher Allison Rogowski doubled to center). Sammie Torlish lined the ball to the right side where Ayon dove at it and speared it for the second out. A groundout followed.
 
In the third, UR up, 1-0, Marissa Kirker reached on a two-out single. Prince hit a long drive to right that was caught by Re leaning back just before it would have hit the fence.
 
Hahn hit a first-pitch home run down the left field line to start the UR fourth. A walk by Confori, a failed pickoff throw, and a bunt moved her to third, but Re grounded out.
 
Rochester scored two apiece in the fifth and the sixth. Kaczegowicz singled in the fifth. Pope bunted. The ball was thrown away – down the right field line. Kaczegowicz took third, Pope advanced to second. Ayon drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Petricca's sac fly scored one run and advanced all the other runners. Hahn flied to right and Pope tagged to score for a 4-0 lead.
 
In the sixth, Conforti and Russo singled. They were bunted ahead by Re and both scored on Kaczegowicz' double to center.
 
In picking up her second complete game this season, Szczerba allowed six hits, one earned run, struck out three and didn't walk anyone. She stranded three runners in scoring position. Starting with the Torlish lineout to Ayon, Szczerba retired 13 of 14. That run ended with a single by Prince and the fourth RBI of the day by Evans – a double to center field. Szczerba ended the inning on a popout, then retired the Cardinals in order in the seventh. She evened her record at 2-2.
 
For Fisher, Rogowski allowed seven hits, six runs (four earned), walked five, hit two, and struck out one.  She is 2-4.