SCHENECTADY, NY – The University of Rochester softball wrapped up its conference slate with a doubleheader split against the Union College Garnet Chargers on Saturday at Alexander Field. The 'Jackets dropped game one, 2-1, before bouncing back to take game two, 27-2, setting program records for the most runs, hits and RBI in a single contest in the run-rule-shortened five-inning contest.
 
Game two was also delayed by nearly two-and-a-half hours due to rain, with the final two-and-a-half innings played at Skidmore College's Wagner Park Softball Diamond due to unplayable field conditions at Alexander Field.
 
With the doubleheader split, Rochester wraps up its conference slate at 23-11 (11-3 LL), while the Garnet Chargers finish the regular season at 12-19 (5-9 LL).
 
Game 1: Union (NY) 2, Rochester 1
Game one would prove to be a low-scoring affair, with just three runs and nine total hits combined between the two sides. Julianna Lyons picked up UR's first hit in the top of the first against Carra Cleaves, but was left stranded at second, while Molly Broccolo pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame.
 
Rochester left a pair of baserunners on in the top of the second, while Broccolo struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, working around Union's first hit of the contest, a two-out single by Ellie Wintringer.
 
In the top of the third, the Yellowjackets struck first to take the lead, getting things started with back-to-back singles from the top of its lineup. Bailey Nicholoff led off the inning with a single to center, and Riley Laygo followed with another single to center to put runners at first and third with nobody out.
 
After Laygo stole second, Cleaves retired the next two batters via a popout and fielder's choice, getting the run coming home to keep things scoreless, but a wild pitch brought home Laygo from third to give UR a 1-0 advantage.
 
That lead would hold till the bottom of the fifth, when Union took advantage of a defensive miscue to take the lead. With one out, Sophia Burynski reached on a dropped fly ball and then took second on a fielder's choice. With two on and just one out, Melody Kappel moved both runners into scoring position with a grounder to second, and Sam Rose followed with a two-run single, giving the Garnet Chargers a 2-1 lead.
 
Cleaves then worked around a two-out single in the top of the sixth before pitching a 1-2-3 seventh to finish off the 2-1 victory for Union.
 
Broccolo (13-5) took the tough-luck loss in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on three hits while striking out seven over 6.0 innings pitched. Cleaves (8-6) earned the win for Union, allowing one run on six hits and a walk while striking out five over 7.0 innings pitched.
 
Jensen Sminchak had two hits to lead UR at the plate, while Laygo went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Game 2: Rochester 27, Union (NY) 2 (5 inn.)
The Yellowjackets' bats got going early in game two, scoring three runs on five hits in the top of the first, before putting up an 11-spot in the second frame.
 
After Laygo doubled and Lyons followed with an infield single, three-straight RBI singles by Jenna Gorecki, Sminchak and Molly Mason gave Rochester an early 3-0 advantage.
 
And while Union would respond with two runs in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with nobody out and scoring on a wild pitch and sacrifice fly, the 'Jackets turned two on Wintringer's sacrifice fly, getting Kyla Springer out trying to take third, and then Maddie White struck out Sammy Fenigstein to strand a baserunner and keep UR's lead intact.
 
UR then responded with 11 runs in the top of the second, and after a lengthy rain delay and location change, 13 more runs in the final two frames to finish off the run-rule victory.
 
The 'Jackets quickly got both runs back on back-to-back RBI doubles by Laygo and Lyons, while Rowan Mulholland followed with an RBI single to make it 6-2. A walk and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for Molly Mason, whose second RBI single of the day extended Rochester's lead to 7-2, while Sara Mazur drew a bases-loaded walk to give UR an 8-2 advantage.
 
Following a Union pitching change, Rochester tacked on four more on a walk and three wild pitches, while Mulholland capped off the 11-run frame with a two-run double, giving Rochester a 14-2 advantage headed to the bottom of the second.
 
White worked around a leadoff walk and struck out a pair in the bottom of the second, and after UR left two on in the top of the third, a nearly two-and-a-half hour rain delay forced a location change for the final frames.
 
Play resumed just shy of 4:30 p.m. at Skidmore's Wagner Park Softball Diamond, and White made quick work of the Garnet Chargers in the bottom of the third, before Rochester tacked on nine more runs in the fourth.
 
Lyons' grand slam highlighted the nine-run frame, while UR saw RBI hits from Sminchak, Ilana Weiss, and Maithili Shah as well.
 
Rochester would add four more runs in the top of the fifth on Marie Kinchington's three-run blast, as well as another RBI single by Mulholland to help set single-game records for hits, runs, RBI and total bases, before Lauren Keys worked around two hits to finish off the fifth, and the 27-2, run-rule-shortened, five-inning victory for the Yellowjackets.
 
Mulholland also tied the single-game record for hits with five, while Lyons tied the single-game record for runs scored with five as well.
 
White (7-4) earned the win, allowing two runs on two hits, walking three and striking out five over 4.0 innings pitched. Melody Kappel (2-11) took the loss for Union, allowing 15 runs on 16 hits over 2.2 innings pitched.
 
Mulholland went 5-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and four RBI, while Lyons went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored and five RBI. All but one Yellowjacket who had an at-bat reached base and recorded a hit, while all but another scored a run as the 'Jackets tallied 28 runs on 27 hits and six walks, striking out just once in the five-inning affair.
 
The Yellowjackets next wrap up their regular season slate with a doubleheader at Fredonia in Fredonia, NY on Monday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m.