PITTSFORD, NY – The ball was flying out at the St. John Fisher University Softball Complex on Saturday afternoon, as the host Cardinals and University of Rochester softball team split a non-conference doubleheader.
 
Overall, the two teams combined to slug 11 home runs across the two games, with St. John Fisher taking game one by a 4-3 score before URochester rebounded in a big way, winning 18-7 in the night cap.
 
St. John Fisher moves to 8-4 on the season with the split, while Rochester sees its record jump to 6-4 in the early part of the 2026 campaign.
 
Game 1: St. John Fisher 4, Rochester 3
The Cardinals got all their scoring in game one on two home runs, with the final dinger proving to be the difference, as Julia Hollister's solo shot in the bottom of the sixth ending as the game-winning run.
 
UR's Marie Kinchington got the scoring started with the first of her three home runs on the afternoon, lifting a solo shot for the 1-0 'Jacket lead in the second inning.
 
The next frame, Ally Kim laced a triple down the right field line, plating Jensen Sminchak reached on a double to center.
 
St. John Fisher then got its first big hit of the game in its half of the third, with Taylor Shackleton launching a homer to right field, driving in three, giving the Cardinals the slim 3-2 lead.
 
URochester answered right back in the top of the fourth though, as Ilana Weiss singled with two outs to center field, driving in Rowan Mulholland who reached following a leadoff single. After four, the score was tied up at 3-all.
 
In the top of the sixth, UR threatened with Mulholland and Julianna Lyons each singled to put runners on first and second with nobody out.
 
The pair then stole second and third to put two runners in scoring position, but Cardinal pitcher Molly Kuhn was able to escape unscathed, getting a strikeout, pop out and strikeout to keep the game tied.
 
That momentum carried over to the St. John Fisher half of the sixth, with Hollister providing a solo blast to left for the late-inning go-ahead run against 'Jacket started Molly Broccolo.
 
Kuhn set down the 'Jackets in order during the top of the seventh inning, securing the Cardinal win, snapping URochester's 11-game win straight against St. John Fisher.
 
Overall in the opener, Kim and Mulholland finished with two hits for the Yellowjackets, while Broccolo tossed a complete game in picking up the loss. The senior right-hander went 6 innings, allowed 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks and struck out 6.
 
Kuhn improved to 4-2 on the season with the complete game win for the Cardinals, allowing 8 hits, 3 runs and no walks while striking out 5 in the 7-inning outing.
 
Game 2: Rochester 18, St. John Fisher 7
URochester got off to a rocky start in game two, surrendering three runs in the first inning to the Cardinals.
 
After the 'Jackets got two unearned runs back in the top half of the second to cut the lead to one, St. John Fisher responded with four more in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 7-2 ball game after two, chasing Yellowjacket starting pitcher Maddie White.
 
UR responded in a big way in the third inning though, sending 12 batters to the plate while scoring nine runs to vault in front 11-7.
 
In the high-scoring inning, Kinchington clubbed a 3-run homer to center field, while Kim provided a 2-run single to right. The next batter was Riley Laygo who also ripped a home run to center, scoring two more runs to move the Yellowjackets in front by four. Savanna Hernandez and Mulholland also provided RBI hits during the frame.
 
Broccolo took over in the circle and settled in nicely during her second appearance of the day, holding the Cardinals off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
 
The senior picked up career win number 50 in game two, becoming just the fourth ever Yellowjacket player to reach the 50-win plateau in softball. She finished the game with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4.
 
Sminchak kept the scoring streak going for URochester in the fourth inning, clearing the right center field fence for a home run, boosting the lead to five.
 
URochester's offense exploded for six more runs in the fifth inning to reach the final scoring margin of 11 runs. Laygo had an RBI single before Kim scampered home on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, both Kinchington and Sminchak hit their second home runs of the game, both two run shots, to complete the scoring.
 
Laygo led the offense in game two, going 4-for-4 with a double, home run, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Kinchington's two home runs combined to drive in a career-high five runs, while Sminchak finished 3-for-4 with 2 home runs, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. Kim also ended game two with three runs scored and two RBI.
 
Rochester's next scheduled game is set for Tuesday afternoon against Nazareth and will serve as the 'Jackets home opener in the 2026 season. First pitch of the doubleheader will be at 3 pm at Southside Field.