CANTON, NY – In a pair of thrillers, the University of Rochester softball team came out on top in a Liberty League doubleheader on Friday afternoon against St. Lawrence University at the SLU Softball Field.
Rochester edged the Saints 4-3 in nine innings during the opener and held on for a 2-1 victory in game two of the sweep.
The two wins extend Rochester's win streak to nine straight, while moving UR's record to 12-8 overall on the season. Rochester sits at 4-0 in Liberty League play. The Saints drop to 11-9 on the year and are 1-3 in conference matchups so far in 2025.
Leading the way for Rochester in the doubleheader was senior
Bailey Nicholoff who went 6-for-8 with three doubles and a home run over the two games. Sophomore
Riley Laygo added three hits and two RBI in the doubleheader, while junior pitcher
Molly Broccolo earned the win in game one and posted a save in game two.
Game 1: Rochester 4, St. Lawrence 3 (9 innings)
The Yellowjackets got off to an early lead in the opener, scoring single runs in both the first and second frames. In the first,
Jenna Gorecki ripped a two-out double to left center to score
Rowan Mulholland, putting Rochester on top.
The next inning, Laygo made it 2-0 'Jackets with an RBI single to center field, plating
Molly Mason.
Rochester stayed in front by two through five innings, as Broccolo was pitching well, surrendering just one hit over those innings.
In the sixth, St. Lawrence got a 2-out, RBI single from Allison Kloft to cut into the lead, only to see Rochester boost the margin back up with a single run in the top of the seventh on a Nicholoff RBI double.
Rochester turned to
Lauren Keys in the circle in the bottom of the seventh, looking for the save, but Vivian Johnson provided a clutch 2-out, 2-run single to tie the game, forcing extra innings.
The Yellowjackets went down in order in the eighth and St. Lawrence got the first two batters on base, but a key first out on a rundown following a single allowed UR a chance to keep the game going. Broccolo, who re-entered in the circle, then got back-to-back ground outs to escape with no damage.
UR scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth when Mulholland lined a single to run, scoring Laygo.
St. Lawrence was set down in order in the bottom half of the inning, securing the Rochester game one victory.
Broccolo ended up going 8 innings, scattering 5 hits and 1 run, walking 1 and striking out 3 in the victory. Her counterpart in the circle, Marleigh Monroe, went all nine innings and surrendered 12 hits, 4 runs and 1 walk, striking out 5.
Offensively, Nichollof went 3-for-5 with a double and RBI. Both Laygo and Mulholland had two hits and an RBI, while
Julianna Lyons added a pair of base hits, including a double.
Game 2: Rochester 2, St. Lawrence 1
A pitchers duel commenced in the night cap, with both teams combining for just ten hits and three total runs.
UR opened the scoring again in the first inning, with Nicholoff launching a solo home run to center to put Rochester on the board. The home run was the 18th of the seniors career, and fifth so far during the 2025 season.
After stranding a pair of runners on base in the first, the Saints pushed across the tying run in the second inning off of Rochester starter
Maddie White. Stella VanGee tripled to right center and was brought in on a sacrifice fly by Marina Juan.
Nicholoff tried to start a big inning for the Yellowjackets in the fourth, leading off with a double, but she was stranded on the bases as the next three hitters all were retired by SLU pitcher Sofia Berryhill.
Berryhill and White were rolling along during the middle innings, with the score remaining 1-1 through five frames. From the third through fifth innings, both teams recorded just one hit.
In the sixth, Laygo launched a home run to right center, doubling the Yellowjacket score. Her homer was also the 18th of her career, matching Nicholoff for sixth on Rochester's all-time top-10 list. The reigning Division III All-American has six home runs through UR's first 20 games.
Laygo's home run was enough, but the Saints would make it interesting over the final two innings.
During SLU's half of the sixth, Kloft reached via walk with one out. Two batters later, Monroe lined a pinch-hit single to left, putting the go-ahead runner on base. White escaped by getting a fielder's choice ground out.
UR went down 1-2-3 in the seventh, setting up Broccolo for the save in the bottom half of the inning. VanGee led off with a single to right and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt.
An infield single put runners at the corners and a 1st-and-3rd steal of second by Emily Wendt put the winning run at second base with just one out.
The next hitter, Johnson, grounded the ball back to Broccolo who looked to get the lead runner who was trying to advance. Broccolo's decision paid off, as the trailing runners ended up clogging up the base paths, with a rundown ensuing between third and home, with VanGee eventually getting tagged out.
On the play, runners ended up at second and third, but with two outs. Broccolo followed by inducing another grounder back to the pitcher, getting the final out at first to seal the win.
Nicholoff ended up with three of UR's four hits in the game, going 3-for-3 with a double and home run. Laygo's solo shot was Rochester's only other hit, with Gorecki drawing a walk as the 'Jackets lone other baserunner in the contest.
White pitched well over six innings, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out three and walking two. She leveled her record at 3-3 on the year in the circle.
Berryhill went the distance for the Saints, also allowing four hits, but two runs, in the loss. She struck out two and walked one.
The Yellowjackets wrap-up the four-game weekend with a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Clarkson University, with first pitch of the opener set for 1 pm.
