ITHACA, N.Y. – Rochester moved into the championship round of the 2019 Liberty League softball tournament by posting a 6-3 victory over RPI on Friday afternoon.
 
The Yellowjackets, who are the tournament's second seed, will play top-seeded Ithaca on Saturday at noon. If Rochester wins the noon game, the same two teams will play again, 30 minutes after the end of the first game.
 
In the opening round on Thursday afternoon, Rochester led, 2-0, through four innings against RPI. The Engineers scored a run in the fifth, then scored three more in the top of the seventh to earn a 4-2 win. The loss against RPI put Rochester into the elimination bracket late Thursday afternoon. UR defeated Clarkson, 4-2, to advance to Friday's game. Clarkson lost its first round game to Ithaca, 1-0, in 10 innings. The loss to Rochester eliminated the Golden Knights from the tournament.
 
Ithaca improved to 2-0 in the tourney with an 8-0 win over RPI on Friday morning. It was halted in the bottom of the sixth on the mercy rule. After a respite, RPI took on Rochester.
 
The Yellowjackets hit back to back home runs against RPI in the bottom of the fourth when they scored four times. UR added two unearned runs in the fourth.
 
Hannah Leahy worked the first four innings for the Yellowjackets. She allowed three hits and one walk. Addy Szczerba, who picked up the win in relief against Clarkson, pitched two innings against RPI. The Engineers staged a three-run uprising in the top of the sixth to get within 6-3. Elizabeth Bourne pitched the seventh inning to get the save.

 
Taylor Spargo took the loss for RPI. In 2.1 innings, she gave up five hits, four earned runs, and walked two. Jamie Cleasby pitched the final 3.2 innings (five hits, two unearned runs, one walk, two strikeouts).
 
Each team left the bases loaded early. In the second, Gianna Melillo drew a one-out walk. Jessica Conforti popped out. Jen Carson doubled to right center with Melillo reaching third base. Toni Anne Hahn walked. Spargo got out of it when Maddie Provencher made a running catch of Marissa Russo's liner to left.
 
RPI loaded the bases in the third. Provencher singled, then was forced at second on Kyla Anderson's groundout. Quin Garant popped out. Leahy walked Veronica DeStefano and Jessica Torch singled to left. Allie Hunt hit a hard grounder to third. Alexis Pope made a diving stop and her throw across the diamond nipped Hunt at first to end the inning.
 
In the Rochester third, Pope singled up the middle with one down. Alizah Ayon punched a single to right. Harleigh Kaczegowicz hit the first pitch she saw and drove it over the center field fence for a 3-0 lead. Melillo followed with a solo home run down the left field line. Spargo left for Cleasby. She gave up singles to Conforti and Carson, then fanned Hahn and retire Russo on a popout.
 
Rochester added two unearned runs in the fourth. Sammi Re reached on an error. She was bunted to second by Pope. Ayon doubled to right to score Re. Kathleen Desmond ran for Ayon. A wild pitch moved Desmond to third. Kaczegowicz hit a twisting popup down the right field line. DeStefano caught it on the run, but Desmond was able to tag and score.
 
The Yellowjackets improved to 21-18 overall. RPI ended its season at 28-11. Ithaca is 25-7-1. The Bombers are the defending Liberty League champions. Last year, they advanced through the NCAA playoffs to reach the College World Series.