SOUTHSIDE FIELD – Rochester and RPI will play for the Liberty League softball championship on Saturday afternoon after both teams posted exciting victories on Friday afternoon. Rochester defeated RPI, 6-4, in the first game of the day. That pushed the Engineers into a survivor's bracket against Ithaca with RPI emerging as a 5-3 victory in nine innings.
 
Saturday's schedule calls for a 12 noon game (UR-RPI). Rochester is 2-0 in the tournament so far (beat Skidmore,  beat RPI). RPI is 2-1 (beat Ithaca, lost to Rochester, beat Ithaca again). If RPI beats Rochester in the noon game, the same two teams will play 30 minutes later to determine the league champion.
 
Winners' Bracket:
Rochester 6, RPI 4:
Rochester scored four unearned runs in the third inning to move in front for good at 5-1. The Yellowjackets stretched the lead to 6-1 on an RBI double by Loren Castilloux. RPI rallied in the sixth, scoring three times to get within 6-4.
 
Lauren Keys earned the win for Rochester as the starter. She pitched into the sixth inning, giving up five hits, four earned runs, with two walks and one strikeout. Emily Sharlach relieved in the sixth. She allowed two singles, then retired six straight to close out the win. It was her first save of the season. Keys earned her 11^th-victory.
 
Hannah Keiper and Castilloux had two hits apiece and drove in two runs. Keiper's RBIs came on a two-run home run down the left field line. Castilloux singled home a run in that five-run third, then doubled home another run in the sixth.
 
Molly Mason started the rally with one down in the bottom of the third. She homered over the left field fence to tie the score at 1-1. Alexis Klee singled to right center and stole second. Ally Kim's flyball was dropped, moving Klee to third. Bailey Nicholoff hit a sac fly to center, scoring Klee with the go-ahead run and moving Kim to third. Keiper's home run made it 4-1. Bryce West was hit by a pitch and Hunter Gilbreath walked. Casstilloux bounced a single through the left side for an RBI.
 
Alexis Cooke pitched the first three innings for RPI. She allowed four hits, five runs (one earned), with one walk, one HBP, and three strikeouts. She is 8-8. Erika Holowka pitched the last three innings for RPI (four hits, one earned run, two walks, two strikeouts).
 
The RPI offense found some life in the sixth inning. Through five, the Engineers had three hits and one run. Jessica Torch reached on a slap hit in the first, moved to second on a wild pitch, and was bunted to third. She scored on a lineout by Erin Askins to right field.

 
After the Torch game-opening hit, Keys set down 11 in a row. Gabby Comeau singled with two out in the fourth. Four of the next five hitters were retired.
 
In the sixth, Torch bunted for a hit. Cat Worthington and Askins walked, loading the bases. Comeau doubled down the left field line for two runs. Sharlach relieved. Liv Vizzini singled to right. Pinch-runner Megan Wampner held up on the single, then tried to advance but was thrown out at third. Vizzini moved to second. Alex Ledger singled to left. Vizzini held up, then was thrown out trying to advance. The inning ended when Kim speared a line drive by Ryleigh Grenwald. In the seventh, Sharlach set down the hitters in order.
 
Game 4:
Elimination Bracket:
Ithaca 7, Skidmore 0:
Riley Piromalli pitched two-hit ball over five innings as the Bombers eliminated Skidmore and booked a rematch vs. RPI. Piromalli allowed two hits and one walk with four strikeouts in five innings. Anna Cornell allowed two hits in two innings. Piromalli moved to 8-9 with the win.
 
Hannah Davis took the loss for Skidmore (12-5). She yielded nine hits, one earned run (seven overall) with no walks and eight strikeouts.
 
Ithaca capitalized on two Skidmore errors in the first to score three runs. Sela Scheinman and Hudson Hassler had RBIs. Alison Dell'Orto was credited with a steal of home when SC didn't react quickly enough in the field. Dell'Orto singled in a run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. Three more runs followed in the sixth after four Throughbred errors.
 
Emma Kindblom and Dell'Orto had two hits apiece and scored two runs each. Julia Loffredo also scored two runs.  
 
Game 5:
Elimination Round:
RPI 5, Ithaca 2 (9 innings)
Tava Kasper hit a two-out home run in the bottom of the seventh inning for Ithaca to force overtime. It also denied a win for RPI's Brooke Sroczinski who was mostly untouchable up to that point.
 
In seven full innings, she allowed two hits – a single by Hudson Hassler in the second and the home run in the seventh. She struck out 13 – nine swinging and four called. She walked three. Alexis Cooke relieved in the eighth. In 1.2 innings, Cooke allowed three hits, one earned run, walked one, and struck out two. Erika Holowka relieved in the ninth (after RPI had moved ahead, 5-1) and got the save by retiring one hitter.
 
Ithaca threatened to score first. Loffredo reached when her pop just on the grass was dropped and she was able to run to second. Scheinmann walked. Sroczinski retired Kailey Collins on a flyout to left (which moved each runner up a base, to second and third). Sroczinski struck out Hassler and out down Kasper with a groundout.
 
RPI opened the scoring in the fifth. Mikayla O'Neill reached on an infield error. Ryleigh Greenwald ripped a double inside third. She was thrown out trying to advance to third, but O'Neill scored for a 1-0 lead. The Engineers left two in scoring position to end the seventh and that loomed large with the two-out HR by Kasper. In the eighth Worthington singled and was bunted to second. She was thrown out at third trying to advance on a ball hit to short by Ledger.
 
The Engineers finally scored in the ninth, scoring three runs. Two hits around a sacrifice left runners at second and third. Riley Piromalli was replaced by Anna Cornell. Greenwalkd doubled in two runs. Torch reached on a bunt single that moved Greenwald to second. When the ball was thrown away, Greenwald scored (4-1) and Worthington singled in the last run.
 
Ithaca had one last challenge – against Sarah Cooke who relieved for RPI in the eighth. Loffredo walked before Cooke recorded two outs – on a strikeout and a comebacker. Hassler, Kasper, and Daniella Mulvey all singled, producing one run but leaving the bases loaded. It was 5-2 with the tying runs aboard when Erika Holowka relieved. She got the save by inducing a groundout to first base.