ROCHESTER, NY – The University of Rochester won the Liberty League softball championship by sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Union College, 4-1, and 5-0, here today.
The sweep gives the Yellowjackets an 8-0 mark in Liberty League play. Rochester is 26-5 overall and has won 17 consecutive games. Union College is 25-9 overall. The Dutchwomen tied RPI for second place in the league at 5-3.
Bridget Graham (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) had two hits in the nightcap for Union.
Rochester clinched the crown by nipping Union, 4-1, in 8 innings in the opener. Jessica Sorrentino homered to right centerfield, scoring Brittany Celeste from third. Celeste led off the eighth with a single. She moved to second on Jena Robertson's sacrifice bunt. Union walked Sam Carr intentionally. After a wild pitch moved both runners up a base, Sorrentino lined the gamewinning homer over right centerfield. (Note, the hit, earlier ruled a single, was changed to a home run.)
Beth Ameno earned the victory for Rochester in the opener. She allowed six hits and struck out 10 to boost her record to 13-2.
Tiffany Ippoliti (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) took the loss. She gave up five hits, walked three, and struck out four. She is 10-5.
Kristen DeCarlo hit a solo home run to left field in the second for a 1-0 Rochester lead. Union tied the score with an unearned run in the fifth.
Lindsay Larabee (Westfield, MA/Westfield) singled through the right side. After a strikeout,
Ashley Kovack (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) singled to deep right center. Larabee moved to third and Kovack took second when centerfielder Sorrentino threw the ball back. The throw skipped into the Rochester dugout. Larabee was waved home and Kovack moved to third. Ameno worked out of it.
Ippoliti retired nine straight at one point in the opener. With two down in the seventh, she walked Rachel Skellie. Megan Winn lined a ball deep into the right field corner that landed inches foul. Ippoliti struck out Winn on the next pitch.
In the nitecap, Rochester's Carly Hoffend (9-0) pitched a six-hitter with no walks and four strikeouts to get her ninth win. Ginny Sack (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills) (10-2) took the loss, allowing five hits, two walks, and striking out two.
DeCarlo hit a three-run home run to left center in the bottom of the first for a 3-0 Rochester lead. It was her fourth home run this week, her third three-run shot. The Yellowjackets added a pair of unearned runs in the second. With one out, Mindy Altemose and Celeste reached on errors. Robertson forced Celeste at second with Altemose taking third. Robertson stole second and Carr singled to left, scoring both runners. Sack settled down, allowing only three base runners over the last four innings.
In the fourth with two outs and Rogers on second, White singled to left field. Rogers was thrown out at the plate by Altemose to end the inning. The Dutchwomen didn't threaten again until the seventh. White and
Bridget Graham (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) singled to left. Reed forced White at third. Kovack bounced to Robertson at short and she threw out Graham at third, and Union popped out to end the game.
Rochester and Union will wait on Sunday to see if they earn bids to the NCAA Division III national championships. This is Rochester's 10th season of softball. The Yellowjackets have never played in the NCAAs. Union has played in each of the last four NCAA softball championships.
===
