From University of Rochester Athletics
Rochester used the home run to great success on Saturday. The Yellowjackets hit five home runs as they swept a Liberty League doubleheader from Clarkson University, 7-2, and 10-0. Game two was stopped after five innings.
Jocelyn Blackshear hit two home runs, both in game one, and Gabrielle Alatorre had one in game two. Eleni Wechsler hit a two-run home run in the opener and Brittany Grage hit her 11th HR of the year in game two. Grage and Wechsler also threw one-hitters to each pick up their eighth wins of the season.
The two wins ran Rochester's winning streak to 10 games. The Yellowjackets are 20-7 overall, 6-0 in the Liberty League heading into a Sunday doubleheader at Skidmore College. Clarkson is 2-4 in the Liberty League, 16-7 overall. This is the second year of a varsity program for the Golden Knights.
Grage struck out six and didn't walk a batter in the opener. She allowed three baserunners – two of them due to fielding errors. Opposing pitcher Jamie Bridge reached on an error in the bottom of the fourth (with Rochester up, 3-0), advanced to second, took third on an infield groundout to Laurelle Byrne-Cody at second base, and scored on another groundout to second. In the seventh, Raeanna Dunn singled back to the mound. She advanced on a groundout to first base, then scored when Chelsea Elliott's fly ball was dropped. Grage ended the game with two more groundouts, a total of 14 in all.
Offensively, the Yellowjackets collected 12 hits with six of the seven runs being earned. Sarah Wayson singled home two runs in the third. Blackshear hit a solo shot in the fourth. In the sixth, Blackshear led off with another solo HR, increasing the lead to 4-1. It also started a four-run rally. With two outs, Shelby Corning singled and Grage doubled her home. Wechsler homered to left to complete the scoring.
In game two, Rochester scored five runs in the third, two in the fourth, and three more in the fifth. Grage drove in four runs – her single in the third plated two, and she homered in the fourth with Corning aboard. Kayla Kibling had an RBI double and scored on Wayson's single. Wayson was 3-3, including two doubles. She had one in the second, but was stranded. She led off the fifth with a double and came home when Ashley Amidon's ball was misplayed. Alatorre promptly homered to push the run total to 10.
On the mound, Wechsler walked five and struck out one, but kept the Golden Knights off balance. Clarkson put runners at first and second with two down in the third, but Wechsler induced Summer Lancette to pop out to third. They had the same situation in the fourth – two on, two out, and Wechsler got a groundout to Byrne-Cody at second.