ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Nina Korn hit two home runs – one in each game – and drove in six runs overall as the University of Rochester swept a softball doubleheader from Union College, 6-3 and 11-3, at Southside Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Yellowjackets boosted their Liberty League record to 7-1 and their overall mark to 13-16. Union is 4-4 in Liberty play, 10-19 overall. Rochester holds a one-game lead over RPI (6-2) in the Liberty League race. The Yellowjackets and Engineers will meet on Sunday at Southside Field at 1 pm. The Liberty League regular season champion will host the league tournament on May 3-5. Union is at RIT to close out league play Sunday.
Allyson Staats drove in two runs for Union in the opener. Staats awas 2-for-2 and
Kristin Schmidt was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Alyssa Wolejko took the loss. In six innings, she allowed six hits, six runs (four earned), walked two, and struck out four. She is 5-7.
Brittany Grage got the win for Rochester. She scattered nine hits, allowed three runs (all earned), walked two, and struck out seven. She is 8-9.
Rochester hit three home runs in the opener. Korn hit a three-run home run to center in the bottom of the first for a 3-0 lead. Union strung together three straight singles in the second, the last a base hit to left by Schmidt that scored Staats (3-1). Rochester's Rachel Roddenberry hit a solo home run in the second.
Union closed to within 4-3 in its half of the third. Wolejko hit a one-out single and
Joanna Chalifoux was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Staats doubled to center for two runs. Rochester got one back on Sara Wayson's solo home run leading off the third. The Yellowjackets added an unearned run in the fourth. Meghan Hennessy singled in Gena Bradford Tume who had reached on an error, was bunted to second, and stole third.
Grage wriggled out of a sixth inning jame. She walked Staats and
Dani Hennel on eight straight balls. Schmidt's grounder to the left side struck Staats trying to advance to third. Staats was called out and Schmidt was safe with a single. Grage then threw third strikes past
Sarah Logan and
Molly O'Brien to end the inning. She retired the side in the seventh.
In the nitecap, Rochester had 13 hits and scored 11 runs, only two of which were earned.
Korn was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs in the second game. Grage was 3-for-4 with two RBIs (including the game-ending single with two down in the fifth) and scored one run. Wayson had two hits and three RBIs. Wayson got the win, working five innings, allowing five hits, three runs (two earned), walking two, and striking out five.
Aimee Palleschi singled with one down in the first and advanced on a groundout. She moved to third on a passed ball, then scored when a grounder by Staats was booted.
Samantha Chevalier's flyball was dropped, putting runners at second and third before Wayson got a swinging strikeout to end the first.
Rochester tied it in the second on back to back doubles by Tayler Fravel and Bradford Tume. The Yellowjackets edged ahead on Fravel's RBI groundout in the third.
Schmidt pulled Union within 3-2 with a sac fly to center in the fourth that scored Chevalier. Rochester scored six runs – all unearned – in the bottom of the fourth. Hennessy singled in one run and Wayson doubled to left center for two more. Korn homered to right and Grage followed with a solo home run to left.
Union's final run in the fifth was an RBI single from Staats after Palleschi walked and Wolejko singled her to second. Chevalier singled to load the bases but Wayson got a strikeout and groundout to end the inning.
In the Rochester fifth. Roddenberry singled with one down. After a strikeout, Hennessy singled. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Wayson singled home Roddenberry. Korn singled to center, scoring Hennessy and moving Wayson to second. Logan was replaced on the mound by Staats. Grage lined a 2-2 pitch down the right field line, scoring Wayson with the 11th run.
