POTSDAM, N.Y. –  As the Liberty League softball season heads into its final week before the post-season tournament, Rochester picked up a key win with its split of a doubleheader at Clarkson University on Sunday afternoon. Clarkson won the opener, 1-0. Rochester's bats came alive in game two as the Yellowjackets posted a 6-3 win over the Golden Knights.
 
With the split, Rochester is 6-4 in the league standings. The Yellowjackets are tied with RPI for second place (identical records). UR has the head-to-head sweep against RPI. Clarkson is percentage points behind in fourth place. The Golden Knights are 7-5 with the split. Ithaca leads the standings with a 10-0 record. Union is 5-5; the Dutchwomen lost a DH to RPI on Sunday. Skidmore is 4-6.
 
The schedule for the last week – with the hopeful cooperation of Mother Nature, shows Ithaca at RPI and RIT. Rochester goes to Union Saturday, then hosts RIT on Sunday in a Senior Day twinbill that was rescheduled from April 14. RPI finishes with two against Ithaca, then two at St. Lawrence. Clarkson finishes the regular season hosting Skidmore. The Thoroughbreds remain in the hunt. They go to Clarkson and host Union.
 
Stay tuned.
 
Game 1: Clarkson 1, Rochester 0:
The Yellowjackets were held to three hits and one walk by Clarkson's Olivia Zoeller. She struck out 11 with at least one K in each inning.  
 
Rochester's pitching combination of Elizabeth Bourne and Addy Szczerba was nearly as effective. The duo allowed seven hits and two walks. Bourne worked the first 4.1 innings. She allowed seven hits but no walks or strikeouts. She stranded six runners in four innings, five in the first two. With two down in the first, a pair of errors and an infield hit put runners on the corner for Clarkson. Bourne induced Sarah Vaccaro to fly out to right.
 
In the CU second, Kyrstin Messier singled, was bunted to second, and stayed there after an infield single. An error loaded the bases. Bourne induced a popup by leadoff hitter Raeanna Dunn, then retired Danielle Whitham on a comebacker.
 
The only run she allowed came on a two-out home run to left field by Rylee LeBourveau in the bottom of the fourth. She left with runners at second and third and one down in the fifth. Szczerba walked Vaccaro, filling the bases. Alizah Ayon made a diving catch of a popup halfway down the first base line for the second out. Szczerba got a lineout to end it. In 1.2 innings, she allowed two walks and no other runners.
 
Ayon singled with two outs in the first. She came up in the fourth with Sammi Re on first after a walk. Ayon lined out to second base. Zoeller fanned Jen Carson and Re was doubled up trying to steal second.  Alexis Pope singled with two out in the fifth, but another strikeout followed. In the sixth, Re guided a single through the left side with two outs. Ayon flied to right.
 

Game Two: Rochester 6, Clarkson 3:
Hannah Leahy picked up the game two win. In 6.1 innings, she allowed seven hits, three runs (two earned), walked one, and struck out four. She was relieved with one down in the seventh after an error and a one-out double put two in scoring position with UR ahead, 6-1. Bourne came on. She yielded two singles that produced two runs. She got cleanup hitter Michelle Winn to bounce out to Ayon unassisted. She ended the game when Vaccaro popped to second. It was her first save of the season. Leahy got her sixth win of the year.
 
Rochester hit two home runs – both off Zoeller who pitched the first three innings for Clarkson. Harleigh Kaczegowicz, moved to the cleanup spot for game two, led off the second inning with her fifth home run – this one clearing the left field fence. In the third, there were two down when Alexis Pope doubled. Ayon's foul pop behind the plate was dropped. She hit the next pitch over the right center field fence for her third home run this week and her 11th this season.
 
UR staged another two-out rally in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. Lydia Petricca doubled and Leahy ran for her. Toni Anne Hahn beat out a roller to short and Leahy hustled home with the fourth run of the game.
 
Vaccaro homered in the Clarkson fourth (4-1), the fourth hit of the game for the Knights. Rochester added two in the seventh off Sam Mennig (she took over in the fourth). Hahn doubled and Kathleen Desmond ran for her. Pinch-hitter Gianna Melillo slapped a single to left, moving Desmond to third. Marissa Russo ran for Melillo and quickly stole second. Re got her second hit of the game (and third of the afternoon) with a sharp single to center that plated two runs.

Those were helpful in CU's final at-bat. Kayla Robert reached on an infield error. LeBourveau, who homered in game one, flied to center. Dunn doubled to left center, moving Robert to third. Bourne came on. Singles by Whitham and Liz Caggiano scored two runs. Bourne then retired the last two to get the save and cinch the team win.