The University of Rochester earned two huge victories on Sunday afternoon with a softball sweep of 19^th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Southside Field.
 
The Yellowjackets won both games, 4-3. They ended RPI's 16-game winning streak with the game one victory. Rochester is 8-10 overall, 4-0 in the Liberty League. They are tied for first place in the league standings with Ithaca. Rochester has won five straight and six of the last eight since returning from a spring trip to Georgia.

RPI split its first four games this season in Florida, then reeled off 16 in a row. The losses put the overall record at 18-4, 2-2 in the Liberty League.
 
Both teams won their Liberty League debuts on Saturday – a combination of a mercy rule win and a tight game. RPI defeated RIT, 4-2, and 11-0. Rochester defeated Skidmore, 20-10, and 6-3.
 
These were old-fashioned pitchers' duels. In game one, Rochester's Elizabeth Bourne went the distance, allowing eight hits, three runs (one earned), with no walks and four strikeouts. The win was her third this season and came a day after she struggled in the high-scoring battle. Erika Holowka pitched the first five innings for RPI (seven hits, three earned runs, two walks, four Ks). Jaime Cleasby relieved to start the sixth. She allowed one hit and one unearned run.
 
In game two, Cleasby threw six innings with six hits, four earned runs, and walked two. The four Rochester runs came on home runs – a solo shot by Harleigh Kaczegowicz in the first and a three-run pinch-hit HR by Rachael Pletz in the sixth. Cleasby is 3-3. Addy Szczerba pitched into the fourth inning in game two. In 3.1 innings, she allowed six hits, three runs (two earned), walked one, and fanned two. She was relieved by Hannah Leahy who threw 3.2 innings, She allowed two baserunners  - a hit batsman and a walk. The win as the third in the last two days for Leahy. She won both ends of the twinbill Saturday – one in relief, one as a starter.
 
Game One:
Bourne gave up solo runs in the first two innings – Veronica DeStefano singled, was bunted to second, and scored on Allie Hunt's double in the first. In the second, Kyla Anderson reached second when her flyball was dropped. She was singled home by Quin Garant.
 
Rochester answered the Hunt RBI in the first when Alizah Ayon hit her sixth home run of the spring – and third of the weekend- to score Harleigh Kaczegowicz who walked and was bunted to second. The Garant RBI tied the score. In the third, Kaczegowicz walked, Alexis Pope bunted her over, and Ayon lashed a single to right to put UR ahead, 3-2.
 

RPI tied it with an unearned run in the fourth, then made a sharp defensive play to end Rochester's half. Maddie Provencher reached second on a fielding error. Anderson singled her to third, then quickly stole second. With one down, DeStefano's RBI grounder brought home the tying run.
 
One down in the UR fourth when Jessica Conforti doubled (she was 3-3 in game one and had four hits on the afternoon). Holowka fanned Anne Marie Cortes for the second out. Sammi Re reached on an error which got Conforti to third. Re took off for second but the Engineers threw behind Conforti and picked her off third with Garant getting the ball to Hunt for the putout.
 
Ayon and Gianna Melillo singled with two down in the fifth. Kathleen Desmond ran for Ayon and Marissa Russo ran for Melillo. Toni Anne Hahn singled sharply to left. Provencher charged it and made a strong throw to get Desmond at the plate, ending the fifth.
 
Bourne set down six straight at one point. Cam Caswell singled to right leading off the sixth. Provencher bunted her to second. Caswell rounded the base too far. Conforti threw to Hahn who tagged Caswell running for third.
 
Rochester scored the tiebreaking run in the sixth. Bourne's infield pop was dropped for an error. Jen Carson ran for her. Conforti singled down the left field line and pinch-hitter Lydia Petricca bunted the runners over. Re hit a fly to center. Carson tagged and just beat the throw home, putting UR ahead.
 
Bourne sealed it, getting the first two, then allowing a single by Jessica Torch before retiring on Hunt on a fly to center.
 
Game Two:
Dramatic plays offensively for both teams, highlighted by the long ball. Erin Askins smacked a two-run home run to left in the first to give RPI a 2-0 lead against Szczerba. Kaczegowicz homered to lead off the Rochester half. After walking Pope, Cleasby set down eight in a row.
 
RPI scored an unearned run in the second and was denied another run on an interference call. Provencher singled. Anderson bunted. UR tried to throw the ball to second, but the throw sailed into center field putting two on. A walk loaded the bases. DeStefano brought home Provencher with a long sac fly into foul ground down the right side. The other runners advanced as well.  Torch hit an infield roller and was thrown out at first. After the putout, she collided with Ayon, knocking the first baseman over as Anderson ran for home. Umpires ruled interference and made Anderson the third out of the inning.
 
Szczerba left in the fourth. Caswell singled. After fanning Provencher, she yielded a single to Anderson. Leahy relieved and hit Garant with her first pitch to load the bases.  She worked out of it. DeStefano's grounder to Hahn forced Caswell at the plate for the second out and Torch fouled out to Pope by third base. She retired six in a row before walking Caswell to start the sixth. She was able to strand the runner at third.
 
Cleasby, meanwhile continued to pitch well, getting a high number of putouts on popups and short fly balls. In the U fifth, Re singled. After a popout, Pope bunted right in front of the plate. Garant reached for it and the ball trickled off her glove. When she tried to throw Pope out, the ball struck the Rochester player in the back. Pope was called out for interference. Re stayed at second. Ayon's fly ball to the center field warning track ended the inning.
 
Rochester staged a two-out rally for the winning runs in the sixth. With two down, Conforti singled to left center. Leahy helped her own cause, hitting a 1-2 pitch down the left field line for a double. That brought up Pletz, pinch-hitting for Re. She hit the first pitch over the left field fence for the lead at 4-3.
 
In the RPI seventh, DeStefano flied to right, pinch-hitter Ryleigh Greenwalkd struck out, and Hunt popped to Conforti at second.