University of Rochester softball bounced back from a game-one defeat to earn a split of its home opener against Nazareth University on Wednesday afternoon at Southside Field. The Golden Flyers edged the Yellowjackets, 6-5, in game one, before Rochester came back to salvage a split with a 5-1 victory in game two of the doubleheader.
 
With the split, Rochester moves to 7-5 on the year, while the Golden Flyers now stand at 5-5.
 
Game 1: Nazareth 6, Rochester 5
After a pair of scoreless frames by Molly Broccolo and Madison Hicks, the Golden Flyers beat out a couple of infield singles and took advantage of a defensive miscue to take the lead in the top of the third. Despite striking out the first two batters of the frame, Bryanna Moroughan beat out an infield single back to the pitcher, and then took third on Haleigh Suitor's single to short.
 
With the double steal on, an error allowed Moroughan to score and Suitor to take third, before Kaijah Alexander beat out another infield single to give Nazareth a 2-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Rochester would answer back, with Marie Kinchington reaching on an infield single, before Julianna Lyons walked to put runners on first and second. Up next, Jensen Sminchak grounded out right back to the pitcher to put two outs on the board, but Katelyn Wade would come through with a two-run single to left, tying the score at two.
 
Broccolo would settle down after the third, working around a leadoff single in the fourth and a two-out single in the fifth. And while Savanna Hernandez doubled and took third on an error with one out in the bottom of the fifth, the 'Jackets couldn't bring her home, and Hicks escaped with the score still tied.
 
Nazareth looked to retake the lead in the top of the sixth, as Morgan Russo's one-out double put a runner in scoring position, but Broccolo induced back-to-back groundouts to short to work out of the inning unscathed.
 
Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Rowan Mulholland led off the stanza with a solo home run to right center, giving Rochester a 1-0 lead with the Golden Flyers down to their final three outs.
 
However, Nazareth would answer back with four runs on five hits in the top of the seventh to take a 6-3 lead. Back-to-back infield singles by Alexis Brown and Ruby Marrapese brought the Yellowjacket infield in with the go-ahead run on second base, and Moroughan took advantage, ripping a single to left to tie the score at 3-all.
 
Then a batter later, Suitor launched a three-run blast to make it 6-3 Golden Flyers, putting the visitors three outs away from their first victory at Southside Field since 2016.
 
And while Rochester would rally in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs and scoring a pair on Kinchington's two-run single, the 'Jackets couldn't finish off the rally and fell, 6-5.
 
Broccolo (2-4) took the loss for URochester, allowing six runs, five earned, on 11 hits, matching her season-high with eight strikeouts. Amanda Linnenbrink (3-1) picked up the win for Nazareth, allowing two runs, neither of which was earned, on three hits over 2.0 innings pitched out of the 'pen.
 
Kinchington led the Yellowjackets at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Wade went 1-for-3 with two RBI, and Mulholland went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
 
Game 2: Rochester 5, Nazareth 1
Maddie White worked a pair of scoreless frames in the first and second before the Yellowjackets would strike first in the bottom of the second.
 
Lyons took Linnenbrink's first pitch to left for a single in the second, while Sminchak moved the junior over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Wade then plated the game's first run with a triple to right center, and then scored herself on Chloe Fitzgerald's fielder's choice, giving URochester a 2-0 advantage.
 
Nazareth would get one back in the top of the fourth on Hicks' RBI double, but the Yellowjackets would come right back to tack on two more to their lead in the bottom of the inning.
 
After another first-pitch, single to left, Sminchak stole second and took third on Wade's sacrifice bunt. Fitzgerald then worked a walk and stole second to put runners on second and third and bring up Hernandez, who reached on a fielding error, scoring Sminchak from third to make it a 3-1 lead.
 
Then, after Hernandez stole second and Ally Kim legged out an infield single, Riley Laygo brought another run home with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Fitzgerald to give Rochester a 4-1 advantage.
 
And despite a pair of errors in the top of the fifth, White would work out of the inning without allowing a run, getting Russo to strikeout swinging to prevent Nazareth from responding in the ensuing frame.
 
URochester would add another run in the top of the fifth on Wade's sacrifice fly, before White would close things out with scoreless sixth and seventh frames.
 
White struck out a pair in the top of the sixth and stranded a runner at first after Hicks' two-out single, while in the top of the seventh, Nazareth loaded the bases on an infield single and two walks. But White got Russo again, this time getting the Golden Flyers' first basewoman to line into a double play.
 
Wade caught Russo's fly out in short left, and then threw out Brown trying to score from third, securing the final out in the 'Jackets' 5-1 victory.
 
White (3-1) earned the complete-game win, allowing one run on five hits, walking three and striking out six. For Nazareth, Linnenbrink (3-2) took the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits, walking one and striking out five.
 
At the plate, Kim turned in a two-hit day, going 2-for-4, while Wade had a team-high two RBI, going 1-for-1 with a triple and a run scored.
 
The Yellowjackets will be back in action at Southside Field on Sunday, March 29, with a doubleheader against Fredonia. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.