University of Rochester Athletics

The University of Rochester softball team posted a convincing win over St. Lawrence University in its Liberty League Tournament opener, defeating the Saints 10-1 in five innings on Thursday afternoon at Southside Field.
 
24th-ranked Rochester improves to 32-7 on the season, while St. Lawrence (16-16) drops back to .500 on the season after the loss. The Saints defeated 4th-seeded Skidmore College 6-4 in the early contest, play-in game on Thursday.
 
Five Yellowjackets finished with five day with multiple hits, led by senior Jensen Sminchak and sophomore Madi Paige who each had five base knocks. Sminchak ended 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored, while Page scored two runs.
 
Junior Riley Laygo kept her strong season going with 2 hits, 3 runs and 3 RBI, including a walk-off 2-run home run in the fifth inning, moving the score to the mercy rule 8-run margin. Laygo's home was her 16th of the 2026 season, establishing a new single-season URochester record.
 
Katelyn Wade and Marie Kinchington each finished 2-for-3 and had one and two RBI's, respectively.
 
The Yellowjackets were able to jump on SLU starter Izzy Melanson in the bottom of the first inning, taking the lead just two batters in. After Ally Kim led off with a walk, Laygo ripped a double to the right center field gap to put the hosts up 1-0.
 
Later in the frame, Sminchak and Kinchington each provided RBI base hits to pull the 'Jackets in front by three after one inning.
 
St. Lawrence got its lone run of the game in the top of the second against URochester's Molly Broccolo, getting an RBI ground out from Emily Siansky, scoring Leah VerSchneider who reached via error to lead off the inning.
 
URochester answered right away with four more runs in the bottom of the second to grab a 7-1 lead. With runners on the corners, Kim stole second and forced a wild throw into center field moving her up a base and allowing Paige to score.
 
Sminchak later ripped a 2-run single up the middle to score Laygo and Kim, with Katelyn Wade lifting an RBI double to left center, putting the Yellowjackets up by six runs.
 
With the big lead, Broccolo settled in, sitting down six straight Saints in the third and fourth to end her day strong. The senior right hander earned the win, moving to 18-4 on the year. She went four innings, allowed just 1 hit, 1 run and 1 walk, while striking out 5.
 
Maddie White closed out the victory with a scoreless fifth inning, surrendering one hit while striking out a pair.
 
In the fourth, Kinchington provided a 2-out RBI single to score Sminchak, before Laygo's two-run shot over the center field wall ended it in the next inning.
 
Melanson took the loss for the Saints, surrendering 10 hits and 7 runs in three innings. Madison Smith tossed the final 1.1 innings for SLU, allowing four hits and three runs.
 
Rochester moves on to play in the winners bracket round, with the next game being set for 10 am on Friday morning against the winner of the RPI-Ithaca matchup later on from Thursday.
 
St. Lawrence will take on the loser of that game in an elimination contest at 12:30 pm on Friday.