SAN ANTONIO, TX – The University of Rochester softball split its final doubleheader in Texas, bouncing back from a 6-1, game-one defeat against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to defeat the Crusaders, 7-1, in game two. With the split, Rochester now sits at 4-8 on the season, while the Crusaders move to 12-4 on the year.
 
GAME ONE: Mary Hardin-Baylor 6, Rochester 1
Doubles by Riley Laygo and Rowan Mulholland would give the Yellowjackets an early 1-0 lead against Mary-Hardin Baylor in the top of the first, but Eileigh Whyte would limit UR to just two hits the rest of the way.
 
In the circle for UR, Lauren Keys worked around a leadoff single in the top of the first, pitching a 1-2-3 frame in the second and stranded a pair in the third, but the Crusaders would break through in the fourth.
 
Tori Skinner led off the inning in a single, and while Keys retired the next batter via a groundout to third, four-straight doubles by the Crusaders turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead. Victoria Shi made it 1-1 with an RBI double to left center to score Skinner, and after Shi stole third, Mary Hardin-Baylor followed with three more run-scoring doubles to take a three-run lead.
 
The Crusaders would add one more run after Maddie White relieved Keys, extending the lead to 5-1 on an RBI single by Shorey Nguyen.
 
White settled things down in the circle for UR after the five-run fourth, stranding a pair in the bottom of the fifth, but Whyte held UR to just one baserunner over the final three frames.
 
Mary-Hardin Baylor tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth on a double steal, before Whyte again set UR down in order in the seventh to finish off the 6-1 victory.
 
Whyte (4-1) picked up the win for Mary Hardin-Baylor, allowing one run on four hits over 7.0 innings pitched, while Keys (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out two over 3.1 innings pitched.
 
At the plate, Mulholland went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Laygo went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 7, Trinity (TX) 2
Playing as the home team in game two, Molly Broccolo set the Crusaders down in order in game one, before, once again, the Yellowjackets got on the scoreboard first in the first frame. Laygo again led off for UR with a double, and after Mulholland drew a nine-pitch walk a batter later, Jenna Gorecki laced an RBI single to left to score Laygo and give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
 
Skinner then led off the top of the second with a double of her own, but UR erased a pair of baserunners, catching both Skinner and Shi stealing to prevent UMHB from answering.
 
The Crusaders would tie things up in the top of the third, with back-to-back singles from                Madeline Stephenson and Bryton Wright putting two on with just one out for Lindsey Polleschultz, who brought home the Crusaders' first run of the game with another single. However, Broccolo worked out of the inning without allowing another run, getting two groundouts to strand a pair.
 
And then with one swing of the bat to leadoff the bottom of the third, Bailey Nicholoff helped UR retake the lead with a solo home run down the left-field line. Mulholland then followed with a single to chase the Crusaders' starter, Chloee Miller, but Wright got a double play to keep UR from extending their lead any further.
 
Both UR and Mary Hardin-Baylor would each leave a pair on in the fourth, while after Broccolo pitched a perfect fifth, the Yellowjackets would break open the game with a four-run bottom of the fifth.
 
Mulholland led off the inning with a single to center, taking second on Gorecki's groundout and third on a passed ball. Julianna Lyons then reached on a throwing error to bring up Molly Mason, who struck an RBI single to center, scoring Mulholland to give UR a 3-1 lead. Marie Kinchington, who pinch-hit for Sara Mazur, then blasted a three-run home run to left center, clearing the bases to make it a 6-1 ballgame.
 
With a five-run advantage, Broccolo ran into some traffic in the sixth, with runners at second and third with two outs after Shi beat out an infield single and stole second, but the junior got Stephenson to ground out right back to the pitcher, stranding two more baserunners and sending things to the bottom of the sixth.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Rochester tacked on another run on Gorecki's two-out, solo blast to right center, extending UR's lead to 7-1. And though Mary Hardin-Baylor put another two runners on base in the seventh, Broccolo stranded two more baserunners, two of eight left on for the Crusaders, to finish off the complete-game victory.
 
Broccolo (3-3) notched her first complete game of the year, allowing one run on nine hits, walking one and striking out four. Miller (2-2) took the loss for UMHB, allowing two runs on five hits over 2.0 innings pitched.
 
Gorecki (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI), Kinchington (1-for-1, HR, R, 3 RBI) and Nicholoff (1-for-4, HR, R, RBI) each hit home runs to lead Rochester offensively, while Mulholland went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
 
The Yellowjackets now return home to Southside Field, opening their home slate with a doubleheader against St. John Fisher on Wednesday, March 19 beginning at 3:00 p.m.