University of Rochester softball made it five wins in a row with a doubleheader sweep of Oswego State on Thursday afternoon at Southside Field, defeating the Lakers in a run-rule-shortened five innings, 8-0, in game one, before taking game two by the final score of 5-3. With the two wins, Rochester moves to .500 at 8-8 on the year, while the Lakers drop to 5-7.
 
GAME ONE: Rochester 8, Oswego St. 0 (5 inn.)
In the top of the first, Molly Broccolo worked around a pair of Laker singles, getting back-to-back fielder's choices, before striking out Kylie Detz to strand a pair. While in the bottom of the first, the Yellowjackets got their run scoring started, scoring two runs on two hits to take an early lead.
 
After Bailey Nicholoff worked a one-out walk, the senior took second on a wild pitch before coming around to score on Rowan Mulholland's RBI single up the middle, giving Rochester a 1-0 advantage. Mulholland would then steal second and score on Jenna Gorecki's double, making it a 2-0 UR lead.
 
Broccolo again worked around a leadoff baserunner in the top of the second, striking out three of a season-high seven batters. Chelsea Sellars would then do the same to keep the 'Jackets scoreless in the bottom of the frame, stranding UR's leadoff baserunner with a pair of groundouts and a flyout.
 
Rochester would tack on another run on Gorecki's second RBI double of the contest in the bottom of the third, scoring Julianna Lyons after the sophomore reached on a two-out double, while Broccolo pitched her first 1-2-3 frame in the fourth, striking out a pair.
 
The 'Jackets pushed three more runs across in the bottom of the fourth, extending their lead to 4-0 on Riley Laygo's RBI single and adding two more on Nicholoff's first-pitch, two-run single after the Lakers made a call to the bullpen.
 
And after Broccolo rolled through the top of the fifth, setting down the Lakers in order once again, the 'Jackets would finish off the run-rule victory with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Madi Paige and Molly Mason worked back-to-back walks to leadoff the inning, putting the game-ending run on first base. A passed ball moved the two runners to third with Jensen Sminchak at the plate, who made it 7-0, bringing home Paige with a sacrifice fly to right.
 
Savannah Nowak then walked things off for the Yellowjackets, singling to right to bring home Mason and finish off the 8-0, run-rule victory.
 
Broccolo (6-3) earned the win, allowing just four hits and striking out a season-high seven batters over the complete-game shutout, while Sellars (2-2) took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings pitched.
 
Gorecki and Nicholoff each drove in a pair to lead UR at the plate, with Gorecki going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI, while Nicholoff went 1-for-2 with a walk, run scored and two driven in.
Lyons and Mason also each had two hits, with Lyons going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Mason went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
 
GAME TWO: Rochester 5, Oswego St. 3
Lillian Haggerty would again lead off with an infield single for the Lakers, but with a flyout and 1-6-3 double play, Maddie White kept things scoreless and sent UR up to bat.
 
UR would again take the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, pushing across two runs on three hits against Maria Lutz. Nicholoff and Mulholland drew back-to-back one-out walks to bring up Lyons, who loaded the bases with a single to left. Back-to-back singles from Gorecki and Mason brought home a pair to make it 2-0, but Lutz struck out the next two Yellowjacket batters to strand the bases loaded and prevent any further damage.
 
Oswego St. then looked to respond in the top of the second, loading the bases on a single, walk and a hit-by-pitch. But White would also strand the bases loaded, getting Tahlia Gerardi to hit an infield fly before striking out both Mackenzie Carlson and Kira Wright to keep the Lakers off the board.
 
Rochester got right back to it in the bottom of the second, as Nowak singled to right and stole second, and next up, Laygo blasted a two-run homer to left to extend the 'Jackets' lead to 4-0. Nicholoff singled, stole second and took third on Mulholland's sacrifice bunt to put another runner in scoring position, and Lyons perfectly executed a squeeze bunt, bringing Nicholoff home to make it a 5-0 UR advantage.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the third, each leaving a runner on base, while White set the Lakers down in order in the top of the fourth.
 
However, in the top of the fifth, the Lakers would break the shutout and push a run across. White struck out the leadoff batter, Carlson, but Wright beat out an infield single and advanced all the way to third on an errant throw, and then came around to score on Haggerty's single, cutting UR's lead to 5-1.
 
White would work out of the inning with a double play in the very next at-bat, but the Lakers would tack on another in the top of the sixth. Lauren Keys relieved White to start the sixth and allowed a leadoff walk to Gianna DeGonza, who was pinch-ran for by Leah Abbruzzese.
 
Abbruzzese took second on a wild pitch and third on Katarina Agerter's sacrifice bunt before coming home on another UR defensive miscue to make it a 5-2 Rochester lead.
 
The Lakers would score another in the top of the seventh, as Wright legged out an infield single, stole second, took third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch. But Keys would keep Oswego St. to just one to close out the win, giving Rochester a 5-3 victory and its second-straight doubleheader sweep.
 
White (1-3) picked up the win, allowing one unearned run on five hits, walking one and striking out three over 5.0 innings pitched. Keys allowed two runs, one earned on one hit over 2.0 innings pitched, walking one and striking out another.
 
For Oswego, Lutz (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Nicholoff again led UR at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and two runs scored, while Laygo went 1-for-4 with a home run, run scored and two RBI.
 
The Yellowjackets next host RIT to open Liberty League play on Saturday, April 5 at Southside Field in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.