From University of Rochester Athletics
Freshmen Gianna Melillo and Harleigh Kaczegowicz drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in both ends of a doubleheader as Rochester swept SUNY Geneseo by the identical scores of 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.
Rochester pair of 4-3 wins give the Yellowjackets three victories in their last four games. Rochester is 7-11 overall. Geneseo is 5-7 overall. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for March 30 in Geneseo, but moved to Rochester on a weekend to avoid missed class time for both teams.
Melillo singled home Kayla Kibling in a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh of the opener. Kibling opened the seventh with a single through the right side. Kaczegowicz pulled a single through the left side. Eleni Wechsler chopped the ball down the third base line. It was fielded by Cat Krok but her flip to Emily Martin covering third was dropped, loading the basis. Melillo hit a 2-2 pitch between third and short for the gamewinner.
In the nitecap, Haberly Kahn singled to center with one down in the seventh. Shelby Corning punched a double to center and Kahn moved to third. Kaczegowicz grounded to short. Martin made a nice stop but Kahn ran home and slid in just before the tag.
Wechsler got the victory in the opener. She scattered eight hits over seven innings, allowed three runs (one earned), walked five, and fanned two. Kaczegowicz was 2-4 with two runs scored. Lauren Muni had three hits.
Claire VanNewkirk was 2-3 with a home run in the opener for the Knights. Alyssa Persich was 1-4 with an RBI.
Alexis Kidder pitched the first four and two-thirds. She allowed five hits, three unearned runs, walked one, and fanned one. Olivia Furness took the loss. In 1.1 innings, she gave up two hits (the singles by Kibling and Kaczegowicz). Taylor Moore relieved after the first two Rochester hits in the seventh.
Rochester scored twice in the third on two errors, a hit batsman, and a pop fly double by Muni. Geneseo took the lead with three in the fourth. VanNewkirk homed with one out. After a strikeout, Mikayla Moore walked. Taylor Fedor singled through the right side. Jacqueline Santilli popped the ball in front of the plate. Wechsler charged in, but it bounced off her glove. Moore scored and Fedor moved to third. She scored on a single by Persich.
The Yellowjackets got even in the fifth. Kaczegowicz reached on an error. Wechsler sacrificed and Kaczegowicz made it all the way to third. She scored on Melillo's groundout.
In game two, Geneseo took one-run leads twice. Danni Napoli doubled, leading off the second. She advanced on Moore's groundout and scored when Abby Dennett singled up the middle. Rochester went ahead on a double by Kibling and a two-run home run to left by Jocelyn Blackshear in the bottom of the inning. In the Geneseo third, VanNewkirk was hit by a pitch. Napoli followed with a home run to left, putting the Knights back in front, 3-2.
Rochester tied the score in the fifth. Blackshear doubled over the third base bag. Rachael Pletz hit for Kahn and reached on an infield error with Blackshear moving to third. Kahn returned and took second on defensive indifference. Corning reached on an infield error with Blackshear scoring to tie it.
Sam Malecki earned the complete-game win for Rochester. She scattered eight hits, allowed three runs (all earned), did not walk anyone, and struck out one. Mikayla Moore took the loss. In 6.1 innings, she gave up five hits, four runs (three earned), walked two, and struck out four.
Malecki worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth. Moore reached on an error and Anna Merante ran for her. Dennett hit a slow roller towards second base for an infield single. Kylie Papagelos ran for her. Malecki induced a flyout to Corning in short left for the second out. Blackshear made a lunging catch of a foul ball down the right field line to end the inning.
In the Geneseo seventh, Persich singled. Martin bunted her to second, but Krok lined out to Kahn in center and VanNewkirk flied out to Blackshear in right.