ANNVILLE, PA – University of Rochester softball saw their 2023 season come to a close as the 'Jackets fell just short in the Annville Regional Final against host Lebanon Valley College. Two first-inning runs proved to be the difference in game one, as the Flying Dutchmen took game one, 2-0, to force a decisive game seven. And while Rochester came back from an early deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning of game two, Lebanon Valley would answer right back and eventually hold on for a 5-3 win and the regional title.
 
Rochester wraps up the year at 38-9, Liberty League Champions, while Lebanon Valley moves to 36-10 on the year and will advance to the super regional round of the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.
 
For their efforts in the Annville Regional over the past three days: Molly Broccolo, Ally Kim and Savannah Nowak were named to the All-Regional Team. In the circle, Broccolo went 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA, allowing just five earned runs on 14 hits over 16.0 innings pitched, while Nowak was UR's leading hitter over the four-game stretch, batting .455 (5-for-11) with two triples, a run scored and two RBI. Kim batted .286 with a triple, three runs scored, three stolen bases and three RBI.
 
GAME ONE: Lebanon Valley 2, #15 Rochester 0
Lebanon Valley would strike first with two runs in the top of the first inning, two runs which would prove to be the difference in the contest as the Flying Dutchmen would hold shutout Rochester, stranding two Yellowjacket baserunners.
 
Molly Broccolo retired the leadoff hitting in the top of the first, but an infield single from Lexi Smith gave Lebanon Valley its first baserunner of the contest. Broccolo then got Julia Craig to groundout, but Nicole Kratz stretched out a single down the right-field line, just out of the reach of Hannah Keiper at first, to bring home Smith and give the Flying Dutchmen a 1-0 lead.
 
Kylie Balthaser then roped an RBI double to left center, scoring Kratz to make it a 2-0 lead, before Broccolo retired Lindsey McCurdy with a groundout to third to send UR to the plate.
 
Rochester though, would go in order in the first against Erin Sinatra and the Flying Dutchmen would lead, 2-0 after one.
 
Broccolo would settle down after a rough first, retiring the next seven batters the first-year faced before Balthaser reached on an infield single with one out in the fourth. However, Broccolo worked around the baserunner, retiring the next two batters to keep Lebanon Valley's lead at just two.
 
Savannah Nowak picked up UR's first hit in the bottom of the second, a two-out single, but was left stranded at first. In the third, Hunter Gilbreath singled up the middle and was pinch-ran for by Jensen Sminchak, but after stealing second, Sminchak was also left stranded as Sinatra retired the next two.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Rochester again threatened, with Keiper blasting a one-out double, but on Madi Turner's deep fly out, Loren Castilloux was thrown out trying to advance to third, again keeping the 'Jackets off the scoreboard.
 
After Broccolo worked a 1-2-3 fifth, the 'Jackets again threatened, putting two on with two outs. But McCurdy threw out Gilbreath at home trying to score from second on Kim's single, keeping Rochester off the scoreboard.
 
In the circle, Broccolo set down the Flying Dutchmen in order in the sixth and then worked around two base runners in the seventh, giving Rochester a chance to tie or walk things off, but Jordan Walter finished off a six-out save, getting three groundouts to finish off the 2-0 win and force a decisive, game seven for the Annville Regional title.
 
Broccolo (19-3) took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits over 7.0 innings pitched, striking out two, while Sinatra (13-4) picked up the win, scattering six hits over 5.0 innings pitched. Walter earned the save, her third, allowing just one hit over 2.0 innings pitched.
 
At the plate, Gilbreath went 2-for-2, Nowak went 2-for-3 and Keiper went 1-for-3 with a double, as Rochester was held to just seven hits and went 1-for-8 with runners on base.
 
GAME TWO: Lebanon Valley 5, #15 Rochester 3
Maddie White got the start for the Yellowjackets in game two and made quick work of the Flying Dutchmen through two innings, pitching a 1-2-3 first and striking out the side in the second.
 
Nowak would again pick up UR's first hit, a two-out triple down the right-field line, but after the 'Jackets left runners on in both the second and third, Lebanon Valley again struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third.
 
Megan Heard got the bottom of the third inning started for the Flying Dutchmen with a leadoff double, but White would bounce back to retire the next two batters. However, after a two-out walk and infield single loaded the bases, Craig smacked a two-run double to left-center, bringing home a pair to give Lebanon Valley a 2-0 lead.
 
White would get Kratz to groundout to keep Lebanon Valley's lead at just two, and while Rochester looked to counter in the top of the fourth, with singles by Jenna Gorecki and Molly Mason putting runners at second and third, Walter again worked out of the inning without allowing a run.
 
In the top of the fifth, Rochester would finally break through plating three on three hits, highlighted by Gorecki's two-run double to level the score at two-all. Lauren Keys pinch-hit for Alexis Klee to lead off the inning and singled to left, but was erased at second on Kim's fielder's choice. Bailey Nicholoff then walked and Keiper beat out an infield single to bring up Gorecki, who lined a double into left center, scoring a pair to even the score at 2-2.
 
And after Turner drew a hit-by-pitch to reload the bases, Nowak grounded out to bring home another run, giving Rochester its first lead, 3-2.
 
However, Walter struck out Mason to prevent any more damage, and the Flying Dutchmen would retake the lead in the bottom of the frame.
 
After Emily Sharlach, who relieved White to start the fourth, allowed a leadoff single, the 'Jackets brought back White, but Danni Holmes smacked a double down the left-field line to put two on with nobody out.
 
Rochester then brought in Broccolo to relieve White, but the Flying Dutchmen would tie the game on Burns's RBI single, before taking a 4-3 lead on Craig's RBI groundout.
 
And after the Yellowjackets went in order in the top of the sixth, Lebanon Valley would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on Holmes RBI single before Walter finished off the win, working around a one-out single to give the Flying Dutchmen a 5-3 win and the regional title.
 
White (7-1) took the loss for Rochester, allowing three runs on four hits, walking one and striking out five. Sharlach pitched an inning of relief, allowing one run on one hit, while Broccolo allowed an unearned run on three hits, striking out one over 3.0 innings pitched.
 
Walter (19-4) picked up the win for Lebanon Valley, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out two.
 
At the plate, Gorecki went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Nowak went 1-for-3 with a triple and RBI. Keiper added two hits, going 2-for-4, but the 'Jackets again went just 3-for-14 with runners on base.
 
The Yellowjackets wrap up the 2023 campaign with a program-record 38 wins, having won their third-straight Liberty League crown. Five 'Jackets earned All-Liberty League honors and four were named NFCA All-Region, as UR set numerous individual and team single-season records, including the most stolen bases (130) and the lowest opponent batting average (.212) in a single season in program history.