University of Rochester softball swept its Liberty League, home opener against Clarkson University, defeating the Golden Knights in game one, 7-2, and 13-0 in a run-rule-shortened five innings in game two. With the two wins, the Yellowjackets move to 16-6 (3-1 LL) on the season, while Clarkson falls to 9-13 (1-3 LL).
 
GAME ONE: Rochester 7, Clarkson 2
Despite putting two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the first inning against Devin Fitzpatrick and the Golden Knights, it'd be Clarkson who scored first in game one. After Jenna Gorecki doubled down the left-field line against Fitzpatrick, Bailey Nicholoff reached out an error to put two on with two out, but Fitzpatrick struck out the next batter to end the threat and keep things scoreless after one.
 
Then in the top of the second, Fitzpatrick got the Golden Knights' offense going with a double, moved to second on Bridget Kerwin's groundout and scored on Elissa Uvenio's infield single to give Clarkson a 1-0 lead.
 
Clarkson's lead would be short lived, however, as Rochester would answer in the bottom of the frame. Though Fitzpatrick retired the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the second on just two pitches, Hunter Gilbreath worked a 10-pitch walk to keep the inning alive. And after Savannah Nowak reached on a fielding error, Riley Laygo took advantage, starting a two-out rally with an RBI single, tying the score at one-all.
 
Loren Castilloux followed with a two-run double to right to make it 3-0 before Gorecki singled up the middle to score another, extending UR's lead to 4-1. The Yellowjackets would add one more on Hannah Keiper's single to left, scoring Gorecki on another Clarkson error to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
 
With the lead now in hand, Molly Broccolo settled things in the circle working around a two-out single to keep the Golden Knights from responding in the top of the third and striking out a pair in the top of the fourth.
 
Rochester threatened, putting two on with two outs in the bottom of the third, but Fitzpatrick escaped without any damage, and after the Golden Knights' starter worked a 1-2-3 fourth, Clarkson would get back on the scoreboard.
 
The Golden Knights loaded the bases against Broccolo on a pair of infield singles and an error, and while Broccolo struck out Molly Pezzano for the second out of the stanza, Clarkson pushed a run across on Elizabeth Greco's RBI single to cut UR's lead to just 5-2.
 
Once again though, the 'Jackets would respond, with Molly Mason leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right center. A batter later, Gilbreath drew a hit-by-pitch to put two on for Marie Kinchington, who slapped a double through the right side, scoring a pair to make it a five-run Rochester advantage.
 
Maddie White relieved Broccolo to start the top of the sixth and worked around a pair of two-out walks, striking out two to work a scoreless sixth, and struck out two more in the top of the seventh to close out the 7-2 victory.
 
Broccolo (6-3) earned the win, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits, striking out four over 5.0 innings pitched. White walked three and struck out four over 2.0 innings pitched, while Fitzpatrick (8-5) took the loss for Clarkson, allowing seven runs, just two of which were earned, over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Gorecki, Keiper and Laygo each tallied two hits at the plate, while Castilloux and Kinchington both drove in a pair. Castilloux went 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and two RBI, Gorecki went 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and an RBI, Keiper went 2-for-4, Kinchington went 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI and Laygo went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 13, Clarkson 0 (5 inn.)
After Lauren Keys worked a scoreless top of the first, the Yellowjackets jumped all over Golden Knights' starter Lily Corrice in the bottom of the frame. Castilloux got the damage started with a solo shot, her first of the season, to give Rochester the lead, and after Gorecki walked and Nicholoff doubled down the left-field line, Keys singled through the left side to bring home another run and make it a 2-0 UR lead.
 
Keiper and Mason each followed with doubles, Keiper's being an RBI double and Mason's bringing home a pair, before Jensen Sminchak tacked on another run with an RBI single, giving Rochester a 6-0 lead after one.
 
Keys again made quick work of the Golden Knights in the top of the second, working around a one-out walk, and Rochester would get right back to scoring in the bottom of the frame.
 
An infield single and walk put two on, and following a fielder's choice, Keys got the scoring started with another infield single, scoring Nowak to give Rochester a 7-0 lead. Keiper followed with an RBI double to make it 8-0, and Mason then hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Keys to extend the lead to 9-0.
 
In the top of the fourth, Laygo relieved Keys in the circle after three scoreless and worked around a one-out walk, and then the first-year put the exclamation point on UR's win and the doubleheader sweep in the bottom of the inning.
 
After Ilana Weiss followed Keiper's single with a double to left center, Adryiana Rodriguez brought home another run with a sacrifice fly to left, and a batter later, Laygo blasted a three-run home run to make it 13-0.
 
The first-year then worked around a pair of singles to finish things off in the top of the fifth, giving the Yellowjackets a five-inning, run-rule-shortened victory.
 
Keys (8-1) picked up the win, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out three over 3.0 innings pitched, while Laygo allowed two hits, walked one and struck out another in 2.0 innings of relief.
 
For Clarkson, Corrice (1-8) took the loss, allowing nine runs on 10 hits over 3.0 innings pitched, while Jenna Totten allowed four runs, one earned, on three hits in an inning of work.
 
At the plate, the Yellowjackets tallied five doubles and two home runs, combining for 13 runs on 13 hits.
 
Castilloux went 2-for-3 with a home run, run scored and RBI, Keiper went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI, Keys went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI and Laygo went 1-for-3 with a home run, run scored and three RBI.
 
Rochester continues its conference weekend on Saturday, April 13 with a doubleheader against St. Lawrence at Southside Field beginning at 1:00 p.m.