TROY, NY – University of Rochester softball defeated the 16th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers, 1-0, on Saturday at Robison Field to clinch their fourth-straight Liberty League Conference Title.
 
The No. 2-seeded Yellowjackets (30-7) came into Saturday's contest undefeated in the tournament, coming off wins over the No. 3 seed, Ithaca College, 3-1, in their opener, and No. 1-seeded RPI (34-5-1), 10-1, in a run-rule-shorted five innings, to advance to Saturday's tournament final. Rochester needed just one win to clinch the title against RPI, and they took an early lead in game one and never trailed en route to their fourth-straight conference crown.
 
First-year Riley Laygo was named the championship's Most Outstanding Player, going 5-for-9 (.556) with three doubles, a home run, four runs scored and three RBI over UR's three contests.
 
Lauren Keys got the start for the Yellowjackets, and despite allowing a leadoff double to Erin Askins in the top of the first, the junior retired the next three Engineers to strand Askins at third and keep RPI off the scoreboard.
 
And then with one swing of the bat, Hannah Keiper gave UR the lead in the bottom of the frame. After Brooke Sroczinski retired the leadoff batter, Keiper took Sroczinski's 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a solo home run, giving Rochester a 1-0 lead.
 
RPI looked to counter in the top of the second, with another leadoff hit, this time a leadoff single by Liv Vizzini, but Keys again worked around the leadoff baserunner, retiring the next three to keep UR up 1-0.
 
Keys would again work out of a jam in the third, getting Olivia Termi to ground into a double play with runners on first and second to end the threat. Then in the bottom of the inning, Rochester loaded the bases with two outs on back-to-back walks drawn by Keiper and Jenna Gorecki, but Sroczinski kept UR from extending its lead, retiring Keys via a groundout to short.
 
Both Keys and Sroczinski settled down to work 1-2-3 frames in the fourth, before RPI put two aboard against Keys in the top of the fifth. Catherine Worthington drew a five-pitch walk to lead off the stanza, and Sydney Speanburg followed with a single, putting two on with nobody out for the Engineers.
 
Keys retired the next batter with a popout to third, but with the top of RPI's lineup due up, the 'Jackets made a pitching change, bringing in Molly Broccolo to relieve Keys. Broccolo got Askins to groundout to first for the second out of the inning, and while Emma Newberry drew a five-pitch walk, Broccolo worked out of the bases-loaded jam with yet another groundout, keeping Rochester in front by a run.
 
In the bottom of the frame, Laygo and Keiper looked to start a two-out rally, with Laygo's double and Keiper's walk, as well as a wild pitch and stolen base, putting runners at second and third, but Sroczinski again escaped the jam, sending the Engineers to the plate in the top of the sixth.
 
After a leadoff walk, Broccolo made quick work of the Engineers in the sixth, needing just 11 pitches to retire the next three batters, and after UR went in order in the bottom of the frame, RPI stepped up to the plate down to their final three outs in the top of the seventh.
 
Broccolo quickly retired Speanburg on a groundout right back to the pitcher, and while Addison Shaffer reached on a pinch-hit single, Broccolo got Askins to ground into a fielder's choice to force out the lead runner and then shut the door with a flyout to Laygo in right, nailing down the save and the title for UR.
 
Keys (13-1) earned the win, allowing four hits, walking two and striking out one over 4.1 innings pitched, while Broccolo (2) notched the save, allowing just one hit and walking two over 2.2 innings pitched.
 
For RPI, Sroczinski (18-3) took the loss, allowing one run on three hits, walking and striking out three batters over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
At the plate, Keiper went 1-for-1 with a home run, two walks, a run scored and an RBI, while Laygo and Savannah Nowak recorded UR's other two hits.
 
As Liberty League Champions, Rochester earns an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament and will learn where it's headed for regional play when the selection show airs on Monday, May 13 at 11:00 a.m.