SOUTHSIDE FIELD – On Saturday afternoon, Rochester claimed its 500^th all-time victory in 24 years and with it, a spot in the NCAA Division III Softball Championships. The Yellowjackets defeated Ithaca College, 6-1, in the Liberty League Championship Game and seized the league's automatic (Pool A) bid to the NCAA event.
 
This is the eighth NCAA appearance for Rochester, its first since 2016. It is also the fifth time Rochester has captured the Liberty League title in 12 years. UR is 31-8 overall. Ithaca stands at 25-8. The Bombers are a Pool C (at-large) candidate.
 
The NCAA has a limited number of teams in the playoff this year, due to the effects of the pandemic. Forty-eight teams will be announced on Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time at www.ncaa.com. The field will include 42 automatic bids, one from Pool B (teams that are independent or play in a league without an automatic bid) and five from Pool C (conference runners-up and Pool B teams who did not get selected in that category).
 
Saturday's game turned in Rochester's favor with two stellar defensive plays in the top of the fifth and a four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Hannah Leahy, who got the win, pitched through four innings plus two batters in the fifth. She allowed four hits, one earned run, walked two, and struck out two. She is 14-4. She was relieved by Emily Sharlach with two on in the fifth. Sharlach was credited with three innings pitched, allowed one hit, and struck out one. This was her third save.

 
Ithaca starter Beth Fleming took the loss. In five innings, she allowed five hits, four earned runs, with four walks and two strikeouts. She had one wild pitch. Fleming is 12-7. Riley Piromalli relieved with two on in the sixth. Rochester reached her for three hits and an RBI groundout. She was charged with two earned runs.
 
Fleming and Leahy dueled well through four innings. Rochester took a 2-0 lead in the third. With one out, Sammi Re reached on a fielder's choice. Hannah Keiper hit a long home run to centerfield. It was her 11^th HR of the season.
 
Ithaca answered immediately. With one down, Haley White hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season. After a groundout, Kira Flegenheimer bunted. Leahy fielded it, but threw it wide of first base to put the Ithaca catcher aboard. She atoned by striking out Tava Kasper to end the inning.
 
In the Bomber fifth, Gabby Laccona reached on a single behind second base. Allison Dell'Orto singled up the middle and when the ball got to the warning track, Laccona raced to third and Dell'Orto advanced to second on the throw. Sharlach relieved. She induced Julia Loffredo to ground to third. Alexis Pope froze Laccona, then threw across the diamond for the putout at first. Haley Gaffney lined a 2-2 pitch at Toni Anne Hahn at short. She caught it and threw quickly to Madi Turner to double off Dell'Orto.
 
Rochester provided some offensive help for the pitching staff in the sixth, scoring four runs on five hits. Allison Beckwith punched a single to right and Loren Castilloux ran for her. Jennifer Carson singled to left. The base hit brought on Piromalli in relief of Fleming. Alexis Pope bunted right in front of the plate and beat the throw to first, loading the bases. Turner singled home two runs and Pope reached third. Turner stole second. Erin Bevec grounded out to third with Pope scoring and Turner moving to third. Marissa Russo singled home Turner for the 6-1 edge.
 
In the Ithaca seventh, pinch-hitter Frankie-Ann McCauley grounded to short and Laccona popped out to second. Dell'Orto reached for the third time in the game. Her grounder up the middle was misplayed. Loffredo flight out to Russo in right, who squeezed it carefully then rushed in to join her teammates in a celebration at the mound.
 
Notes: Both teams advanced to the title game via shutouts on Wednesday. Fleming threw a no-hitter against third-seeded RPI (2-0). It was her second no-hitter of the year. Rochester blanked Skidmore, 4-0. Leahy gave up five hits, walked two, and fanned six… Keiper was named the Most Outstanding Player. She reached base all four times – a first-inning single, the third-inning home run, and walks in the fifth and the sixth… Rochester's all-time record is 500 wins, 416 losses in 24 seasons (.546)… The tournament championship plaque was presented to the six seniors: Russo, Sammi Re, Hahn, Pope, Leahy, and Carson.