University of Rochester softball kept on rolling with a Senior Day sweep of the Union College Garnet Chargers on Saturday at Southside Field, wrapping up an undefeated record at home at Southside Field during the regular season. The 'Jackets run-ruled the Garnet Chargers in five innings, 13-2, in game one, before finishing off the sweep with a 7-2 victory in game two.
 
With the two wins, Rochester wraps up the regular season at 27-7 (12-2 LL), while Union falls to 6-26 (5-9 LL). Pending results around the Liberty League, the Yellowjackets will be one of the top-two seeds in the Liberty League Tournament next weekend.
 
GAME ONE: Rochester 13, Union 2
Molly Broccolo got the start for the Yellowjackets in game one, and though she struck out Riley Callahan to lead off the top of the first, Union strung together three hits to strike first and take an early lead.
 
Back-to-back singles from Sophia Burynski and Nahnny Sobetzko put two on with just one out for Tatum Perkins, who grounded out to third. Haley Gibbons though, followed with another single, this one through the right side, to score a run and give the Garnet Chargers a 1-0 lead. However, Broccolo got Sam Rose to ground out to end the inning, and UR answered right back in the bottom of the frame.
 
On just the fourth pitch the first-year saw, Riley Laygo blasted a solo home run to center, quickly tying the score at one-all. And after Jenna Gorecki's single and Bailey Nicholoff's walk, as well as a passed ball, put runners at second and third, Jensen Sminchak gave the Yellowjackets the lead with a two-run single.
 
Both Broccolo and Union starter Melody Kappel worked scoreless second innings before the Garnet Chargers got one back in the top of the third. Burynski reached on an infield single, took second on a sacrifice bunt and third on Perkins' groundout, and while a groundball looked to get Rochester out of the inning, an error allowed Gibbons to reach and Burynski to come home to score to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
 
Rochester would answer right back in the bottom of the frame though, as Sminchak again came through with two on, this time with a two-run double off the wall in left-center to extend UR's lead back to 5-3.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Garnet Chargers loaded the bases against Broccolo, taking advantage of back-to-back fielding errors by the 'Jackets. However, Broccolo worked her way out of the jam without allowing a run, turning two on Callahan's liner up the middle to strand a pair and keep Union off the scoreboard.
 
The Yellowjackets then put up an eight-spot in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of three Union errors to put the game out of reach. Cassie Wiggins relieved Kappel to start the inning, but back-to-back errors allowed both Laygo and Katelyn Wade to reach. Gorecki followed with an RBI double to score the pair and extend UR's lead to 7-2, while an infield single and another fielding error loaded the bases with Sminchak due up.
 
Sminchak laced a single through the right side to make it 8-2, driving in her fourth run of the game, and a batter later, Hunter Gilbreath drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run, pushing Rochester's lead to 9-2. Lauren Keys pinch-hit for Savannah Nowak and brought home another run with a sacrifice fly before Laygo put the capper on the eight-run frame, blasting her second home run of the game, this one a three-run blast, to extend the 'Jackets' lead to 13-2.
 
With Rochester leading 13-2, Maddie White took over in the circle to start the top of the fifth and made quick work of the Garnet Chargers to finish off game one, striking out the side to give UR a run-rule-shortened 13-2 victory.
 
Broccolo (11-4) earned the win, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits, striking out two over 4.0 innings pitched. Kappel (3-12) took the loss for Union, allowing five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits over 3.0 innings of work.
 
Laygo and Sminchak each drove in four to lead Rochester at the plate, with Laygo going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI, while Sminchak went 3-for-3 with a double, run scored and four RBI.
 
Gorecki added a double, going 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and two RBI, while Nicholoff scored a team-high three runs, going 1-for-1 with two walks, a stolen base and three runs scored.
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 7, Union 2
Broccolo again got the start in the circle for the 'Jackets in game two, but this time, the sophomore worked a 1-2-3 frame to send the 'Jackets to the plate. UR then struck first in the bottom of the inning, taking the early lead.
 
Laygo again got Rochester's offense going with a double down the left-field line, and a batter later, Gorecki dropped a single into right center, bringing Laygo home to give the 'Jackets a 1-0 lead.
 
In the circle, Broccolo cruised through the second and third innings, retiring the first eight batters she faced before working around a two-out single in the third. And after Broccolo pitched another 1-2-3 frame in the fourth, Rochester tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning.
 
Nicholoff led off the inning with a single to left and stole second, taking third on Sminchak's infield single. With runners at the corners, Gilbreath roped a two-run double to right-center, scoring both Nicholoff and Sminchak to give Rochester a 3-0 advantage.
 
Then in the bottom of the fifth after another 1-2-3 frame from Broccolo, the Yellowjackets stretched their lead out to 7-0 with four runs on five hits. Nowak led off the inning with a single up the middle before Laygo blasted her third home run of the game to extend UR's lead to 5-0.
 
After Autumn Duff retired the next batter, Gorecki beat out an infield single to short and took second on a flyout to center before Sminchak drove in another run, scoring Gorecki with an RBI double to make it 6-0, before Ilana Weiss brought Sminchak home with an RBI single, giving Rochester a 7-0 lead.
 
Union would get two back against Lauren Keys in the top of the sixth on back-to-back RBI singles by Sobetzko and Perkins, but Keys, who relieved Broccolo to start the fifth, got a flyout to strand a pair.
 
Then in the top of the seventh, Rose hit a leadoff double, but Keys struck out the side to finish off the 7-2 win, wrapping up the doubleheader sweep for UR.
 
Broccolo (12-4) again earned the win, allowing just one hit and striking out two over 5.0 innings pitched, while Duff (1-12) took the loss, allowing seven runs on 11 hits over 4.2 innings pitched.
 
Four 'Jackets turned in multi-hit days, left by Laygo, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Gilbreath went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, Gorecki went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI while Sminchak went 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI.
 
Rochester will be either the No. 1 or 2 seed in next weekend's Liberty League Tournament, pending the outcome of results around the Liberty League this afternoon.