SOUTHSIDE FIELD – Rochester split its final Liberty League regular season doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against Clarkson University. The Yellowjackets lost the opener, 3-2, in a classic pitching duel. UR took the nitecap, 8-0, in five innings.
 
With both teams battling for potential playoff positions in the Liberty League tournament this coming week, the split puts more emphasis on a Clarkson-UR doubleheader rematch in Potsdam on Sunday afternoon.
 
Rochester is in a tight race with Ithaca College for first place. With Saturday's split, Rochester has a 20-3 league record (.870) and stands at 27-8 overall (.771). Ithaca split its doubleheader at Skidmore, winning game one on a mercy rule victory, 9-0, over SC in Saratoga Springs. The Thoroughbreds bounced back to take game two, 2-1, in eight innings. Clarkson is 10-8 after the split with Rochester, 18-12 overall.

What all this means is that heading into Sunday's action, Rochester is first at 20-3. Ithaca is second at 18-4 (.818), RPI is third at 7-3 (.700), Skidmore fourth at 11-7 (.611), and Clarkson fifth at 10-8 (.556). Union (8-16), St. Lawrence (5-19), and RIT (2-21) round out the eight member schools.

The top four advance to the Liberty League semifinals on Wednesday with the top seed hosting #4 and the second seed hosting #3. The two winners advance to the Liberty League final on Saturday with the highest remaining seed hosting. Saturday's winner earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
 
After the doubleheader, the Yellowjackets honored the six seniors who made their final regular season appearance at Southside Field: Marissa Russo, Sammi Re,  Jen Carson, Hannah Leahy, Toni Anne Hahn, and Alexis Pope.
 
Game One:
Clarkson junior Olivia Zoeller earned her 14^th victory (14-3) with a five-hit victory and drove in the gamewinning run in the top of the seventh. She fanned 10, walked three, and hit two.
 
Hannah Leahy (11-4) pitched a six-hitter for Rochester. She walked two, fanned two, and hit one – Zoeller as the first batter of the game. Each team committed only one error and the misplay did not affect the scoring.
 
Neither pitcher yielded a hit until the fourth inning. Zoeller struck out six in the first three innings. She allowed two baserunners – walking Hannah Keiper with two down in the first, and hitting Marissa Russo with a pitch with two down in the third. Russo tried to steal second on the first pitch to Sammi Re. She got to the bag, but came off, and was tagged out by Sarah Vaccaro, the Clarkson shortstop.
 
In the Clarkson fourth, Vaccaro doubled to left center for the game's first hit. Kayla Robert walked. Emily McBath grounded to short with the runners advancing.  Leahy retired Alyssa Schaechinger on a comebacker. Amanda Riley lined the ball down the right field line, but Russo made a great diving catch just above the ground to end the inning.
 
Rochester used that emotion to take a 2-0 lead in its half. Re walked and stole second. Keiper struck out before Jen Carson lined out to right. Alyssa Beckwith hit her seventh HR of the spring for a 2-0 lead. Clarkson got on the board with a solo home run by Rylee LeBourveau in the fifth. The Golden Knights tied it in the sixth. Vaccaro doubled to left, moved to third on a grounder just to Leahy's right, and scored on a single by Emily McBath.
 
Keiper and Jen Carson singled in the UR sixth. Zoeller retired Beckwith on a fly to the warning track in left and fanned Pope to end the inning. The guests scratched out a go-ahead run in the seventh. LeBourveau doubled to left and Zoeller singled to center to break the tie.
 
Toni Anne Hahn singled to short left. Madi Turner's bunt attempt was caught by a diving Zoeller just about the ground. Pinch-hitter Alizah Ayon struck out. Russo singled to left, moving Hahn to second and she promptly stole third. Re walked, loading the bases. Keiper fought off a couple of 1-2 fastballs before lining the ball to deep center field where LeBourveau caught it just before the wall to end it.
 

Game Two:
Emily Sharlach pitched three-hit ball with no walks and three strikeouts to pick up her 10^th win of the season. McBath took the loss for Clarkson. In four innings, she allowed four hits and four runs (three earned). She walked seven. Riley Page relieved to start the fifth as the Golden Knights made some positional changes. Page gave up four hits after the lead hitter reached on an error. The Yellowjackets scored four runs and snared the eight-run difference.
 
Rochester stole five bases – three by Russo, one by Alexis Klee, one by Carson, and one b Hunter Gilbreath.. In the bottom of the first, Russo walked, then stole second and third. Re bounced out to the mound. With Keiper at the plate, one of the return throws from the catcher got past her and rolled into centerfield with Russo scoring.
 
The Yellowjackets scored an unusual run in the third. Keiper walked and Klee ran for her. Carson's grounder was misplayed, putting runners at the corners. She quickly stole second. Beckwith grounded to third with Klee holding. Hahn walked to load the bases. Pope grounded the ball past the circle. Vaccaro charged and her throw home to get a force was wild. Klee scored, but Carson was thrown out at the plate with Amanda Riley throwing to McBath.
 
In the fourth, Gilbreath and Russo drew walks. Three batters later, Carson singled home both. Page relieved in the fifth. Pope reached on an error. Turned doubled her home. Gilbreath doubled Turner hoe. Russo singled to put runners at the corners. Russo stole second and Re lined the ball into the right centerfield gap, yielding the seventh and eighth runs.