University of Rochester Athletics

ANGOLA, IN – The University of Rochester softball team saw another highly-successful season come to an end on Friday afternoon after splitting a pair of games at the Angola Regional in the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
 
24th-ranked URochester defeated Earlham College 9-3 in the first elimination game of the day and had 4th-ranked and host Trine University on the ropes, before a late rally lifted the Thunder to a 10-6 victory to end the Yellowjackets season.
 
The 2026 campaign was one for the record books though, especially offensively, as Rochester established single-season records in several categories, including highest batting average, slugging and on-base percentage, along with scoring the most runs and recording the most hits, home runs, RBI, total bases and walks in team history.
 
UR ended the year with a 36-10 record overall, recording the second most wins in a single-season in program history. This year's NCAA tournament appearance was Rochester's 12th overall since the program started back in 1998.
 
Game 1: #24 Rochester 9, Earlham 3
In the opener, the Yellowjackets used a big 6-run fifth inning to break open a 2-2 game, earning the victory by that margin over the Quakers (26-19).
 
The Yellowjackets scoring was started with a Riley Laygo double to left, scoring pinch-runner Maithili Shah. Rowan Mullholland followed with an RBI single to left, plating Laygo to put the Yellowjackets up 2-0 in the third.
 
In the bottom of the inning, Earlham scraped one run across thanks to an obstruction call, leading to an unearned run, cutting the lead in half.
 
The Quakers tacked on another run in the fourth on a Mack Harvey RBI single to center, knotting the game at two.
 
URochester's big fifth inning started with Ally Kim and Laygo drawing walks. Mulholland then ripped a 2-run triple to right center, putting URochester back in front. Jensen Sminchak followed with an RBI single to left center.
 
After a hit batter and foul out, Julianna Lyons crushed a 3-run home run, moving the score to 8-2 in favor of the Yellowjackets. UR's Marie Kinchington and Madi Paige followed with walks, but Earlham was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
 
The next inning, Mulholland clubbed her seventh home run of the season, a solo shot, boosting the Yellowjacket lead to seven.
 
Earlham closed out the game with an RBI double from Bo Shelton in the bottom of the seventh, but the Quakers were unable to get any more runs across.
 
For the game, Mulholland finished the day going 3-fo4-5 with 2 runs and 4 RBI, finishing a double shy of the cycle. Ilana Weiss went 2-for-2 as the only other 'Jacket hitter with multiple base knocks. Lyons drove in three runs with her home run, while Laygo and Sminchak each reached base three times with one hit and two walks.
 
In the circle, Molly Broccolo started and went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 hits, 2 runs (1 earned) with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Maddie White relieved and earned the win in 2.2 innings of work, surrendering 2 hits and 1 run while striking out 2. Saira Ramakrishnan finished off the game by getting the final two outs.
 
Game 2: #4 Trine 10, #24 Rochester 6
In the second elimination game of the day, the host Thunder took a 1-0 lead after one, but saw the Yellowjackets score in the next four straight innings to grab the lead, sitting up 6-2 after five frames.
 
During the sixth inning, the Thunder bats woke up, leading to the defending national champions scoring eight runs to go from four runs down to four runs up.
 
The scoring started in Trine's half of the first inning, with Tyra Marcum plating Karley Trine with a sacrifice fly.
 
UR's Lyons responded with a sacrifice fly of her own in the top of the second, kicking off the 'Jackets run-scoring inning streak.
 
In the third, Sminchak singled to right, scoring Ally Kim who reached via walk and advanced from first to third on an infield single by Mulholland.
 
Laygo had the biggest hit of the game for the Yellowjackets in the top of the fourth inning, scoring three runs on a 2-out, bases clearing double to right center. All three runs in the frame were unearned after a Trine fielding error extended the inning.
 
With URochester up 5-1, the Thunder pushed one run across in the bottom of the fourth when Macy Rocha tripled to right field, scoring Zaelyn Myles.
 

The Yellowjackets got that run right back in the top of the next inning though, with Lyons recording a 2-out RBI single to score Savanna Hernandez.
 
During the sixth, Trine was able to square up against White who relieved Broccolo in the circle once again. After a leadoff double, Debbie Hill clubbed a 2-run home run to right to trim the deficit in half. Rocha made it back-to-back blasts with a solo shot down the left field line, moving the score to 6-5 in favor of the Yellowjackets.
 
Broccolo returned to pitch, but the Thunder figured out the senior on the third time through the order. The next two batters singled and moved up to second and third on the throw to the hot corner. A squeeze bunt by Mylee Boling saw the tying run cross home plate for the Thunder.
 
Up next was a grounder to second base, but the Yellowjackets elected to throw home in an attempt to keep the game tied, which worked, but allowed the hitter to reach.
 
Another grounder to second followed, with Trine outrunning the throw home this time, taking the lead for the first time since the first inning.
 
After a steal and single loaded the bases, Tyra Marcum laced her second double of the inning, this time scoring three runs, boosting the Thunders lead to 10-6. Two ground outs ended the inning, but not before the Thunder scored eight runs on seven hits, sending 12 batters to the plate.
 
In the top of the seventh, Trine's Alex Rodriguez set down the Yellowjackets in order, moving on to the regional championship round against Loras College who defeated both Rochester and Trine to sit a 2-0 through two days.
 
Game two's batting leaders for Rochester were Laygo and Sminchak who each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Laygo had a pair of doubles and drove in three, while Sminchak added one run and one RBI. Lyons also provided multiple RBI for the second straight game, going 1-for-2 with a pair driven in, while Hernandez and Kim each scored two runs for the 'Jackets.
 
Trine needs to defeat the Duhawks twice on Saturday to rally out of the losers bracket for the regional title. If Loras wins either of two possible games, the Duhawks would move on to the NCAA Super Regionals.

For their efforts over the weekend, Laygo, Mulholland and Lyons were all selected to the regional All-Tournament Team.