ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The No. 2 seeded Ithaca College softball team battled top-seeded and No. 24 nationally ranked University of Rochester on Saturday in the Liberty League Championship game. The YellowJackets were able to force the if-necessary game by defeating Ithaca 2-1, scoring the winning run in the top of the seventh inning. They would also take the second matchup by an 8-5 score.
NO. 24 ROCHESTER 2, ITHACA 1 (F)
Rochester struck first in the top of the second inning when Katelyn Wade reached after being hit by a pitch. She stole second and came around to score on a one-out single up the middle by Marie Kinchington.
Taylor Brunn settled in after allowing a leadoff double to Ally Kim in the third, working out of the inning by retiring the heart of the lineup. She capped the frame by inducing flyouts from both Wade and Riley Laygo.
Maddie White kept the Bombers' bats quiet through the first three innings, striking out two while not allowing a hit. They would finally break through in the bottom of the fourth frame when on a 3-1 pitch,
Madison Schoenenberger connected on her fifth homer of the season to knot the score at 1-1.
The score remained tied until the seventh inning, when Riley Laygo led off with a single and advanced to second on an Ithaca error. Two batters later, Katelyn Wade delivered a single through the left side to drive Laygo home and break the deadlock.
NO. 24 ROCHESTER 8, ITHACA 5 (F)
The YellowJackets struck first in the bottom of the opening inning, as Rowan Mulholland delivered a single up the middle to drive in Ally Kim for the game's first run. The Bombers answered in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on a throwing error that allowed
Anna Bello to reach base while bringing
Elise Waddington home to even the score.
The score remained tied at 1-1 until Rochester broke things open with a six-run inning on four hits, highlighted by a grand slam over the left field fence from Julianna Lyons. The Bombers responded with a run to cut the deficit to 7-2, as
Anna Bello doubled down the right field line and later came around to score on a fielder's choice by
Madison Schoenenberger. In the top half of the sixth, Ithaca would make it 7-3 when
Haley Petrucci delivered an RBI that allowed Bello to score.
Rochester added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, while Ithaca looked to mount a late rally in the top of the seventh. With two outs,
Elise Waddington singled down the left field line, and
Ava Rao followed with a base hit to center.
Jessie Lopez then drove in both runners by reaching on a Rochester throwing error to cut into the deficit, but Molly Broccolo recorded the final out by retiring Bello to secure the win. Broccolo improved to 19-5 in the circle.
The Bombers now stand at 23-12 will now wait and see if they receive an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA Regional. The NCAA selection show will be broadcast on
NCAA.com on Monday, May 11 at 11 a.m.
