SOUTHSIDE FIELD – Rochester advanced to the championship game of the Liberty League softball playoffs after posting a hard-fought 4-0 victory over Skidmore College on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Yellowjackets boosted their overall record to 30-8. Skidmore finished its season at 11-9. After being swept by Rochester in late April, Skidmore went on a terrific run, winning nine of its last 11. That spurt of success catapulted the Thoroughbreds into the fourth spot in the playoff selections. Skidmore was the hottest team in the league heading into Wednesday's game.
 
On Saturday, Rochester will host Ithaca College in the Liberty League title game. Ithaca eliminated RPI, 2-0, at Ithaca on Saturday. UR and Ithaca split a four-game series in mid-April. Each team went 1-1 on its own field.
 
Hannah Leahy claimed her 13^th victory this season (13-4) by scattering five hits, two walks, and two hit batsmen over seven innings. She fanned six, none more crucial than the top of the fourth when she escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam. Hannah Davis took the loss for Skidmore. In six innings, she allowed five hits, walks, hit one, and struck out three. All four runs against her were earned.
 
The Yellowjackets scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to snap a 0-0 tie. Jen Carson drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run and Toni Anne Anne cleared the bases with a double to left.
 

Rochester found it a challenge to get much solid contact against Davis and when the Yellowjackets did, the Thoroughbreds made the plays defensively. In the bottom of the fourth (after avoiding that three-on, none-out situation), third baseman Genesis Delgado speared a pair of line drives, one from Toni Anne Hahn, one from Madison Turner. They threw out runners at third base three times, twice in the first inning.
 
Leahy yielded three singles in the first two innings. She had a 1-2-3 third, but was challenged in the fourth. Kaitlyn Judd walked and Hanna Paolucci ran for her. Davis singled down the left field line with Paolucci stopping at second. Chloe McGonagle was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Leahy bore down. She ran the count to 2-2 on Kate Wilkie before getting a called third strike. Delgado grounded to Alexis Pope at third base. She threw home where Hunter Gilbreath recorded the out on Paolucci. Leahy fanned Mathias to end the inning.
 
It was still 0-0 when Rochester came to bat in the fifth. Glbreath walked and was bunted to second by Marissa Russo. Alexis Klee came in to run for Gilbreath. Sammi Re slapped a single to the right side with Klee moving to third. Hannah Keiper was hit by a pitch. Carson walked, forcing home Klee with the game's first run. Erin Bevec ran for Keiper at second.
 
Davis struck out Alizah Ayon on three pitches. Hahn cracked a bases-clearing double to the base of the left field fence.
 
Judd was hit leading off the sixth. A flyout and two groundouts ended the inning. In the Skidmore seventh, Melissa Mathias walked. With Megan White at bat, Gilbreath threw down to Keiper at first. Mathias tried to run to second but was caught in a rundown. Meghan Robertson flew out to Carson in left to end the game.