University of Rochester softball picked up a pair of ranked wins vs. No. 25 St. John Fisher, sweeping their home opener against the Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon at Southside Field. The Yellowjackets bats came alive in a 10-3 game-one victory before Lauren Keys shut out the Cardinals in a 4-0 game-two win.
 
With the two wins, Rochester moves to 9-5 on the year, while the 25th-ranked Cardinals drop to 7-5 on the season.
 
GAME ONE: Rochester 10, #25 St. John Fisher 3
After Molly Broccolo worked around a pair of baserunners, striking out Allie Klonowski to strand runners at second and third in the top of the first, Hannah Keiper gave UR an early lead with one swing of the bat.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Jenna Gorecki singled through the left side, and Keiper followed with a two-run blast, scoring Gorecki to give the 'Jackets an early 2-0 lead.
 
Rochester's lead would hold through the third, as Broccolo set the Cardinals down in order in the second and worked around a one-out single in the third before St. John Fisher pushed three across to take the lead in the top of the fourth.
 
Three-straight singles by the Cardinals loaded the bases with nobody out for Kelly Cournoyer, who reached on an error, scoring Mari Spitz from third to cut Rochester's lead to 2-1. Broccolo got the next to batters to ground into fielder's choices, but Madi Rose drew an eight-pitch walk to bring another run home and even the score at 2-all, before Amalia DeMartino laced a single up the middle to give Fisher the lead.
 
Tori LoPresto scored to give St. John Fisher a 3-2 lead, but Alexis Klee threw Maddie Donlin out at home trying to score from second, ending the inning and keeping the Cardinals' lead at just one.
 
And the 'Jackets then got right back to it, offensively, responding with three runs on three hits to retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Molly Mason drew a one-out walk and stole second, before Klee tied the game with an RBI single, advancing to second on the throw home. Ally Kim then beat out an infield single and stole second to bring up Bailey Nicholoff, who hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Klee to give UR a 4-3 advantage.
 
Gorecki then wrapped up the scoring with an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Klee to give Rochester a 5-3 lead after four.
 
And after Broccolo put up another zero on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, the 'Jackets broke through with four more in the bottom of the inning.
 
Madi Turner got things started with a one-out double and was pinch-ran for by Loren Castilloux. Savannah Nowak's single to right put runners at second and third for Mason, who reached on an error, scoring Castilloux to extend UR's lead to 6-3.
 
Klee then followed with a two-run triple to right-center, scoring both Mason and Nowak to make it an 8-3 lead, before Kim added another with an RBI single, plating Klee to extend Rochester's lead to 9-3.
 
Rochester would add another in the bottom of the sixth on Turner's RBI single, scoring Adryiana Rodriguez, who pinch-ran for Keiper after a leadoff double, before Broccolo worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to finish off the 10-3 victory.
 
Broccolo (6-2) earned the win, allowing three runs, one earned, on eight hits, striking out three over 7.0 innings pitched. Jessica Patterson (3-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings pitched.
 
Five 'Jackets recorded multi-hit days, led by Keiper's 2-for-4 performance with a home run, double, run scored and two RBI, and Klee's 2-for-3 day with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI.
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 4, St. John Fisher 0
Once again after Lauren Keys stranded a two-out baserunner in the top of the first, the Yellowjackets took the lead in the bottom of the stanza. Nicholoff smashed a one-out double to center, and Keiper followed with an RBI single, scoring Nicholoff to give the 'Jackets a 1-0 lead.
 
Fisher looked to counter with a pair of baserunners in the top of the second, taking advantage of a UR defensive miscue. But in the ensuing at-bat, LoPresto flew out to right and Nicholoff threw Klonowski out trying to score from third, keeping the 'Jackets out in front.
 
Neither team could get much going in the third, before Nicholoff launched a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fourth, doubling UR's lead to 2-0.
 
Keys continued her impressive performance in the circle, working around a leadoff single in the fifth, and stranding two in the sixth before the 'Jackets added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
A batter after Kim legged out an infield single, Keiper hit her second home run of the day, a no-doubter to deep center, giving the 'Jackets a 4-0 lead.
 
And that would be all Keys needed, as the sophomore set the Cardinals down in order in the top of the seventh to finish off the 4-0 victory.
 
Keys (2-2) earned the win, allowing just four hits, walking two and striking out one in a complete-game shutout. Ainsley Evanetski (2-3) took the loss for St. John Fisher, allowing four runs on five hits over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Keiper and Nicholoff led UR at the plate, as Keiper went 2-for-3 with a home run, run scored and three RBI, while Nicholoff went 2-for-3 with a double, home run, two runs scored and an RBI.
 
The 'Jackets will look to keep rolling when they next head to Buffalo, NY for a doubleheader against the Medaille University Mavericks on Saturday, March 25 at 1:00 p.m.