SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – University of Rochester softball remained unbeaten in Liberty League play and ran its win streak to 15 games with a doubleheader sweep of the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds on Friday afternoon at Wagner Park. The 'Jackets blasted five home runs en route to a 12-4 victory in game one, before defeating the Thoroughbreds in game two, 7-5.
 
With the doubleheader sweep, URochester moves to 21-5 (8-0 LL) on the year, while Skidmore drops to 15-15 (2-6 LL) with the two losses.
 
Game 1: Rochester 12, Skidmore 4
With back-to-back home runs from Savanna Hernandez and Riley Laygo to lead off the top of the first, the 'Jackets jumped ahead early against the Thoroughbreds. However, Skidmore would answer back, tying things up on Sophia Finch's two-run blast in the bottom of the frame, after an error allowed Natalie Maye to reach and the inning to continue.
 
The 'Jackets would come right back though and retake the lead in the top of the next, loading the bases on Ilana Weiss' leadoff single and back-to-back walks by Hernandez and Laygo, bringing up Jensen Sminchak, who unloaded the bases with a first-pitch, grand slam, giving the 'Jackets a 6-2 lead.
 
A batter later, Marie Kinchington made it 7-2 with a solo shot, one of five home runs Rochester hit in game one, and Kinchington's eighth home run of the year.
 
Molly Broccolo then settled down in the circle and worked around Rachel Monser's leadoff single in the bottom of the second, striking out a pair to send the Yellowjackets back to the plate.
 
Broccolo would then work around two more baserunners in the third, before Laygo blasted another solo homer to leadoff the top of the fourth and make it an 8-2 advantage.
 
Following two more scoreless frames by Broccolo in the fourth and Maddie White in the fifth, the 'Jackets got back on the scoreboard to start the sixth, with Sminchak following Laygo's leadoff single with a triple to right-center, extending the 'Jackets' lead to 9-2. Sminchak then came around to score on Kinchington's sacrifice bunt, making it a 10-2 ballgame.
 
But with a chance to finish things off in the sixth, Nate Burley extended the contest with a two-out, two-run blast to center, cutting Rochester's lead to 10-4.
 
However, after the Yellowjackets tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh on Hernandez's RBI double and Sminchak's RBI single, White closed things out in the bottom of the seventh, finishing off the 12-4, game-one victory.
 
Broccolo (11-4) earned the win, allowing two unearned runs on three hits, walking one and striking out five over 4.0 innings pitched. White (2) notched the save, allowing two runs on one hit, walking three and striking out four over 3.0 innings of relief.
 
Mallory Allen (8-5) took the loss for Skidmore, allowing seven runs on six hits over 2.0 innings pitched.
 
Sminchak led the 'Jackets at the plate, falling a double short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a triple, home run, two runs scored and six RBI, tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.
 
Laygo also had a three-hit day, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, four runs scored and two RBI.
 
Game 2: Rochester 7, Skidmore 5
After the 'Jackets went in order against Mayne in the top of the first, Skidmore would get on the scoreboard first, pushing a run across against Broccolo in the bottom of the frame.
 
Despite retiring the first two batters she faced, Finch drew a walk and Monser beat on an infield single against Broccolo to bring up Burley, who singled to right, bringing Finch home to give the Thoroughbreds a 1-0 lead.
 
The Yellowjackets would get the run back in the top of the second though, tying the score at 1-1 on Ilana Wiess' fielder's choice with the bases loaded, as Rowan Mulholland scored on a throwing error.
 
And after Broccolo pitched a 1-2-3 second, the 'Jackets would take the lead in the third. Laygo's out-out, first-pitch double put a runner in scoring position for Sminchak, who drove in her seventh run of the day with a single to right, giving Rochester a 2-1 lead.
 
The Thoroughbreds though, wouldn't go down without a fight, and quickly came back to tie things up and retake the lead in the bottom of the third. Sam Waters led off the inning with an infield single and stole second, taking third on Lulu Mickle's groundout. A batter later, Waters scored on Monser's RBI single to make it 2-2, while after Monser stole second, Burley added another RBI single to make it 3-2.
 
Once again though, Rochester would respond in the next frame. Mulholland led off the fourth with a double to left, while Katelyn Wade followed with a single to put two on with nobody out. Weiss laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third, and while Mayne got Ally Kim to groundout to first, Madi Paige roped to a single to left to score a pair and give Rochester a 3-2 lead.
 
Up next, Laygo reached on an error and stole second, and Sminchak followed with another two-run single to make it 6-3 Yellowjackets.
 
White then relieved Broccolo to start the bottom of the fourth, and kept Skidmore off the scoreboard over the next two frames, striking out a pair in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Rochester would tack on an insurance run in the top of the sixth on Laygo's RBI double, scoring Kim after a leadoff single, but the Thoroughbreds would answer back with two in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Three-straight hits by Madison Bonham, Elle Harrison and Waters made it a 7-5 ballgame, but White got Mickle to groundout to end the inning and then closed the door in the bottom of the seventh, striking out a pair in a 1-2-3 frame to finish off the 7-5 victory and doubleheader sweep.
 
White (8-1) earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six over 4.0 innings pitched. Broccolo allowed three runs on five hits, walking and striking out one over 3.0 innings pitched.
 
For Skidmore, Mayne (4-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs, four earned, on 14 hits over 7.0 innings pitched.
 
Five 'Jackets tallied multi-hit days, led by Wade, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Sminchak again had a team-high three RBI, going 2-for-4, while Laygo went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Mulholland also scored a pair, going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
 
The Yellowjackets will be back in action on Saturday, April 18 when they wrap up their weekend in the Capital District with a doubleheader against RPI in Troy, NY. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.