PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Rochester broke out the bats in a big way in its first area games of the 2022 season. The Yellowjackets swept a doubleheader at St. John Fisher College, 9-4, and 11-3. UR had 25 hits in the twinbill – 14 game one (a 9-4 triumph) and 11 in game two (an 11-3 victory). Rochester is 4-12 overall heading into its home opener on Saturday against Medaille College. St. John Fisher is 0-8.
 
The last time these teams played, there was a regional championship on the line in the NCAA Division III playoffs at Erie, PA. UR defeated Fisher in back to back games to claim the regional title and a spot in the last eight of the NCAA softball championships in Salem, VA.
 
Game One:
Rochester 9, St. John Fisher 4: Emily Sharlach picked up her second win of the season with six strong innings of work (six hits allowed, three earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts). Over the first five innings, four opponents reached base: one on an error, two singles, and one hit batsman.
 
The Yellowjackets staked her to a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. Madi Turner doubled. Savannah Novak bunted pinch-runner Kristen Myers to third and reached base herself. Alexis Kim reached on an error that scored Novak. Kim moved to second on the play and scored on Bailey  Nicholoff's double. Three batters later, Hunter Gilbreath brought home Nicholoff.
 
SJFC produced a run in the bottom of the sixth on a leadoff triple and a two-out single by Abby Flakus. Rochester replied scoring five runs on six hits and one Cardinal error to carry a 9-1 lead into the last of the seventh. Alexis Klee had a triple and scored on a Kim single. Kim took second and Nicholoff followed with her third hit of the game – this one a home run to left field. Loren Castilloux singled home two more runs for the 9-1 edge.
 
Lauren Keys relieved Sharlach after the first two Cardinal hitters reached safely. She gave up two RBI singles, but also retired the side on three groundouts. The losing pitcher was Jessica Patterson.
 
Game Two:
Rochester 11, St. John Fisher 3: Two more big innings for the Yellowjackets who scored four in the second (three coming on a Kim home run) to go ahead, then a six-run fifth inning to stretch the advantage.
 
Rochester hit four home runs in the game two win. Hannah Keiper hit a two-run HR to start the scoring surge in the fifth. Klee hit a three-run home run for a 9-2 edge. She was 2-4 with four RBIs. Molly Mason hit a solo HR in the seventh. She was 3-3 and scored twice.
 
Keys started game two and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing two hits, two runs (one earned), and walked three. She was replaced by Abbie Biggs (5.1 IP, six hits, one earned run, walked two, and struck out four). The Fisher decision went to starter Ainsley Evanetski.