SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – University of Rochester softball extended its conference win-streak to seven games, sweeping its conference doubleheader against the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds on Friday afternoon at Wagner Park. The 'Jackets shutout the Thoroughbreds in game one, 6-0, before holding on late to take game two, 5-3.
 
Rochester moves to 20-6 (7-1 LL) with the sweep, while Skidmore falls to 6-20 (0-6 LL) on the year. UR will next face No. 16 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in a matchup of the top two teams in the Liberty League on Saturday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m.
 
GAME ONE: Rochester 6, Skidmore 0
The Yellowjackets got their offense going in a hurry, scoring six runs in the top of the first inning against Hailey Clarke and the Thoroughbreds. Riley Laygo led off the inning with a double to center, and after Clarke retired the next batter, Jenna Gorecki reached on an infield single, putting runners at first and second with just one out.
 
Hannah Keiper followed with another single to load the bases for Bailey Nicholoff, who brought home the game's first run with a walk, scoring Laygo and bringing Molly Mason to the plate. Mason promptly cleared the bases with a three-run triple to give Rochester a 4-0 lead, and a batter later, Julianna Lyons smashed an RBI double to bring Mason home and make it 5-0.
 
The Yellowjackets would add one more on Savannah Nowak's RBI single to right before Clarke finally got out of the inning with UR leading, 6-0.
 
That'd be all Molly Broccolo needed, as the sophomore retired the first six batters she faced until a leadoff single in the bottom of the third. Broccolo kept on cruising through, getting a strikeout and double play to erase one of just two baserunners on the day for Skidmore.
 
Broccolo worked a 1-2-3 fourth, fifth and sixth before another leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, but once again, UR's starter got Bernie Berner to ground into a double play to erase the leadoff single and then struck out Mallory Allen to finish off the 6-0 game-one victory.
 
Broccolo (8-3) earned the win, facing the minimum and allowing just two hits, striking out three over 7.0 innings pitched, her fourth shutout and eighth complete game of the year. Clarke (1-10) took the loss for Skidmore, allowing six runs on 10 hits over 7.0 innings pitched.
 
Gorecki tallied four hits to lead UR at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double and run scored, while Mason went 1-for-3 with a triple, run scored and three RBI.
 
Nowak also turned in a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Laygo and Lyons tallied extra-base hits.
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 5, Skidmore 3
Both the 'Jackets and Thoroughbreds threatened in the first, but after striking out with a runner on in the top of the frame, Lauren Keys struck out a pair to strand two and keep things scoreless after one in Saratoga Springs.
 
Nicholoff then got UR's offense going in the top of the second, drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second and scoring on Katelyn Wade's RBI single to give Rochester a 1-0 lead. However, the Thoroughbreds loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame and pushed a run across to tie the score at one-all.
 
A walk, sacrifice bunt and two infield singles loaded the bases for Skidmore's leadoff hitter, Grace O'Connell, who poked a single into center field to score a run, evening the score at one-all. Keys, though would work out of the inning without any more damage, getting Berner to foul out before she struck Clarke out swinging to leave the bases loaded with the score tied at 1-1.
 
Keys settled down in the next frame, striking out a pair in a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, while the 'Jackets got back on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth. Lyons reached on a one-out infield single to second, and Wade followed with another infield single, taking second on a Skidmore throwing error.
 
With two in scoring position and just one out, Jensen Sminchak laced an RBI single up the middle to retake the lead, and after Sminchak stole second, Laygo reached on another error to bring home another run and make it 3-1 UR, before Gorecki lifted a flyball to deep center, bringing home Sminchak with a sacrifice fly to extend Rochester's lead to 4-1.
 
Skidmore though, would answer in the bottom of the frame, with a hit-by-pitch and infield single putting runners at the corners with just one out. Keys got O'Connell to line out to right, but another single just out of the reach of Lyons at third brought home a run, pulling the Thoroughbreds within a pair.
 
And after the Yellowjackets left two on in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, the Thoroughbreds rallied in the bottom of the sixth, looking to take the lead. Back-to-back infield singles from Elle Harrison and O'Connell put runners at the corners with just one out for Berner, who hit an RBI single up the middle to score Harrison and cut Rochester's lead down to just one.
 
Rochester then made a call to the bullpen, bringing in Broccolo for the five-out save, and with some help from a baserunner blunder, got out of the inning without any more damage. With one out and Clarke at the plate, Skidmore called for a hit-and-run, but Clarke couldn't connect and Nicholoff tagged O'Connell trying to score from third, while Broccolo got Clarke to ground out to second to keep UR up a run.
 
In the top of the seventh, Rochester tacked on an insurance run, as Nicholoff led off the inning with a single, taking third on a misplay by the left field. Mason then brought Nicholoff home with a sacrifice fly to left, and Broccolo would set down the Thoroughbreds in order in the seventh, striking out Allen to earn the save and give the Yellowjackets a 5-3 victory.
 
Keys (10-1) picked up the win, allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits, walking two and striking out six over 5.1 innings pitched. Broccolo (1) tallied the save, the first of her career, striking out one over a scoreless inning and two-thirds of work.
 
Mallory Allen (2-1) took the loss for Skidmore, allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits over 4.0 innings pitched.
 
Four 'Jackets turned in multi-hit games, led by Nicholoff, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while Wade went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Keiper and Lyons also each went 2-for-4, while Gorecki and Mason each drove in a run.