The University of Rochester swept an unusual doubleheader in softball against Skidmore College on Saturday afternoon at Southside Field. The Yellowjackets outlasted the Thoroughbreds, 20-10, in the first game, then took the nitecap, 6-3.
 
It was the Liberty League season opener for each team. Rochester is 6-10 overall, 2-0 in the league. Skidmore is 10-12 overall, 0-2 in the league.
 
Hannah Leahy picked up the win in both games for Rochester (2-4 overall). She threw 3.2 innings of relief in game one (seven hits, one walk, three strikeouts, four earned runs). In the nitecap, she threw shutout ball for four innings, allowing three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Leahy relieved Elizabeth Bourne in the top of the second during a four-run SC rally. In the nitecap, Addy Szczerba pitched three innings of relief to get the save (five hits, three earned runs, one walk, four strikeouts).
 

Hannah Davis started both games for Skidmore. She went the distance in game two, allowing eight hits, six runs (four earned), walked two, and struck out five. Davis helped her own cause with a solo HR in the top of the sixth that pulled Skidmore within 3-2. Emily Popp pitched in the opener, relieving Davis in the top of the inning.
 
Game One:
Rochester sent 14 hitters to the plate in the third inning of game one and scored 11 runs on a combination of five hits, three walks, and two hit batsmen. Alexis Pope hit a three-run HR and Alizah Ayon followed with a solo shot. The 11-run burst put UR ahead, 12-10. In the fourth, Rochester sent another 14 hitters to the plate and scored eight runs on four hits, one error, four walks, and one hit batsman. That pushed the lead to 20-10. In the top of the fifth, Leahy allowed a leadoff single to Megan White, the fanned two and retired Delaney Corbet on a popout to end the game on the mercy rule.
 
The key plays in the 11-run rally were a leadoff triple by Sammi Re, two walks, and Ayon's grounder down the third base line that was booted, scoring two runs. Later in the inning with Popp in the circle, Re hit an RBI single to right and stole second. Harleigh Kaczegowicz walked before Pope homered over the left field fence. Ayon followed with a solo shot to right center.
 
The Thoroughbreds collected 12 hits eight RBIs, and turned five Rochester errors into five unearned runs in the opener. Skidmore moved in front, 10-1, heading into the bottom of the third inning.
 
Skidmore scored two runs in the top of the first on a sac fly from Delgado and an RBI single by Corbet. In the second, UR committed three errors leading to five runs. Karlie Fishkin's single drove home two and that brought on Leahy (with SC up, 5-1). Delgado singled for another run. In the third. White drove in one, Fishkin hit an RBI single, Maddie Nelson scored on a throwing error, and White eventually stole home.
 
Game Two:
This was a tight pitcher's duel most of the way, the exact opposite of the high-scoring affair in game one. Rochester scored single runs in the first three innings- two were unearned. Gianna Melillo doubled home Ayon in the first. In the second inning, Leahy singled, was bunted to second, moved to third on a groundout, then scored when Re reached. Her roller up the first base line was fielded, but the player missed the tag. In the third, Melillo walked and Anne Marie Cortes ran for her. Cortes stole second and scored on Toni Anne Hahn,s double to left center.
 
Leahy left after the Skidmore fourth. Over the course of two games, she pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 10 hits, four runs (all earned), with one walk and seven strikeouts.
 
Szczerba relieved to start the fifth. White greeted her with a booming triple off the base of the right field wall and scored on Fishkin's single up the middle. Szczerba retired the next three. In the Throughbred sixth, Davis homered over the right field fence (3-2 Rochester). Szczerba closed the inning with two strikeouts and a groundout with a walk in the middle.
 
UR needed runs with the heart of the Skidmore order scheduled in the seventh. Re singled with one out, but was forced at second by Kaczegowicz. After a steal of second, Pope walked. Ayon ran the court to 3-1 before hitting a long home run to left field. It was her fifth HR of the season.
 
Corbet homered to left center with two down in the seventh. Popp followed with her third hit of the game, a single to center. Szczerba closed the game by striking out Davis.
 
Stat Leaders:
For Skidmore, Fishkin ad Delgado drove in three each in the opener. They each had one RBI in game two along with Davis, the solo shot in the sixth. White and Popp had three hits in the first game. Fishkin and  Davis had two hits each. White scored three runs, Popp and Nelson two each. Popp had three hits in game two.
 
For Rochester, Pope had five RBIs in game one. She was 2-2, including the three-run HR in the 11-run third. Re had three hits in the first game and scored three runs. She added two more hits in game two and made several sparkling plays in the field. Ayon scored three runs in the first game, two in the nitecap. Kaczegowcz scored four runs in the first game, then was 2-4 in game two.