University of Rochester softball swept its Saturday doubleheader against the Clarkson University Golden Knights, earning a 10-2, run-rule-shortened victory in game one, before edging the Golden Knights in game two, 5-3. With the doubleheader sweep, Rochester remains unbeaten in Liberty League play at 15-5 (4-0 LL) on the year, while the Golden Knights fall to 2-17 (0-4 LL).
 
Game 1: Rochester 10, Clarkson 2 (6 inn.)
Both teams left runners on base in the first, before the Golden Knights got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the second. Lexi Rydelek led off the inning with a double to center, and a batter later, Maddie Throumoulos reached on an error to put runners at the corners with just one out. Up next, Molly Broccolo got Kendall Cuyler to ground out to first and keep the runners from scoring. But after Isabel Haspil drew an eight-pitch walk to load the bases, Ivy Borkoski poked a single through the right side to score Rydelek and give Clarkson a 1-0 lead.
 
The Yellowjackets would get the run back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases on a hit-by-pitch, an error and an infield single, before Julianna Lyons scored on Ilana Wiess' fielder's choice. But Avery McDonald worked out of the inning without allowing any more runs, sending the Golden Knights back to the plate with the score now tied at one.
 
Broccolo, though, would settle down and work a scoreless third, while the 'Jackets took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Riley Laygo led off with a five-pitch walk, and two batters later, Lyons launched McDonald's 1-1 pitch over the right-field fence for a two-run blast, giving URochester a 3-1 lead.
 
Rochester would tack on four more in the bottom of the fourth, pushing its lead to 7-1 with four runs on four hits and two Clarkson errors. Wiess led off the inning with a single, and was pinch-run for by Maithili Shah. One-out singles by Ally Kim and Laygo then loaded the bases for Rowan Mulholland, whose sacrifice fly brought home Shah to make it a 4-1 lead.
 
Kim and Laygo then executed a double steal to make it 5-1, before Marie Kinchington reached on a throwing error and brought Laygo home, making it a 6-1 ballgame. Then, after Lyons' walk, Jensen Sminchak pushed the 'Jackets' lead to 7-1 with a single through the right side, as Chloe Fitzgerald, who pinch-ran for Kinchington, scored from second.
 
Clarkson would get a run back in the top of the fifth on Rydelek's RBI double, while Janzen Long relieved McDonald and worked around a pair of base runners in the bottom of the stanza.
 
However, after a 1-2-3 frame from Saira Ramakrishnan in the top of the sixth, Rochester would take advantage of four walks in the bottom of the frame to finish off the run-rule victory.
 
A walk, a single and another walk loaded the bases for Katelyn Wade, who drew another walk to extend URochester's lead to 8-2. Clarkson then made a pitching change, but the parade of walks continued, as Madi Paige drew a six-pitch walk to bring home another run.
 
Up 9-2, Savanna Hernandez then smashed a single down the left-field line to push the Yellowjackets' lead to eight and finish off the 10-2, run-rule victory.
 
Broccolo (6-4) earned the win, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits, walking two and striking out one over 5.0 innings pitched. McDonald (1-3) took the loss for Clarkson, allowing seven runs, four earned, on eight hits over four innings pitched.
 
Lyons led URochester at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run, walk, three runs scored and two RBI, while Laygo went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and two runs scored.
 
Game 2: Rochester 5, Clarkson 3
While Maddie White cruised through the first three frames, setting down the Golden Knights in order, Rochester took the lead with a run in the first, and then added two more in the third.
 
In the bottom of the first, Laygo roped the first pitch she saw from Bella Hotchkiss for a double, and after Lyons singled through the right side, Mulholland brought Laygo home with a two-out, RBI single, giving the 'Jackets a 1-0 lead.
 
Then, in the bottom of the third, Laygo doubled, and Lyons followed with her second home run of the day, extending Rochester's advantage to 3-0.
 
Emily Martin broke up White's no-hitter in the top of the fourth, but the 'Jackets' starter got Rydelek to fly out and struck out Ryleigh Fontana to stand a pair and keep Clarkson off the board.
 
Rochester then tacked on two more in the bottom of the fourth, as Hernandez led off with a triple down the line and scored on Kim's sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-0. And up next, Laygo blasted a solo shot to give the Yellowjackets a 5-0 lead.
 
However, the Golden Knights would break through in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs on four hits to pull within a pair. Haspil's RBI single with runners at the corners got Clarkson on the scoreboard, while Borkowski followed with another RBI single to cut the 'Jackets' lead to 5-2.
 
Up next, White got Martin to pop out to Kim at short, but Emily Bulone smacked a double over the head of Wade in left to score another and make it just a two-run Rochester lead.
 
URochester would go quietly in the bottom of the inning, but White settled down and pitched a 1-2-3 frame, needing just nine pitches to retire the Golden Knights in the sixth.
 
But after White got the first two outs in the top of the seventh, the Golden Knights put together the makings of a rally. Back-to-back two-out hits from Borkowski and Martin put runners at second and third, and the 'Jackets then walked Bulone to put a force at any base, but also put the go-ahead run at first base. Rydelek then got ahead in the count, 1-0, but White got the Golden Knights' first baseman to ground into a fielder's choice to escape the bases-loaded jam and give Rochester a 5-3 victory.
 
White (7-1) earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out six in a complete-game effort. Hotchkiss (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings pitched.
 
Laygo had two doubles and a home run to lead Rochester at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Lyons added another two-run blast, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI, while Mulholland also added two hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
The Yellowjackets will wrap up the weekend with another Liberty League doubleheader on Sunday, April 12, against St. Lawrence at Southside Field. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.