After losing two tough battles to St. John Fisher College, the softball team rallied with a convincing sweep over Medaille College, and a split against St. Lawrence University this weekend.
The Yellowjackets won seven of their last 14 games and now stands 8-21 overall and 2-2 in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association with only three games remaining in the regular season.
Against St. John Fisher, UR ended its four-game streak of splitting double headers with a pair of 4-3 losses. St. John Fisher surged ahead 3-0 before UR came back with two runs in the sixth inning and tied the score in the seventh at 3-3. The Cardinals pulled out the win in an extra inning and matched their 4-3 score in the second game.
?In the first game we had the tying run at the plate,? head coach Kris Shanley said. ?You can?t be disappointed with that ? it just goes to show that you can never count us out.?
UR returned the next day to dominate their doubleheader against Medaille College and record their first sweep of a doubleheader this season. UR won game one 20-0 with seven runs in the second inning and eight runs in the fifth.
Freshman infielder Becky Ryszkiewicz, sophomore outfielder Val Palermo and freshman infielder Melissa Arms scored three runs apiece while freshman pitcher Kathy Gagne struck out five to get the five-inning win.
UR completed the sweep led by junior co-captain and infielder Nellie Coats?s 3-run homerun in the first inning.
Shanley has been especially impressed with the play of Ryszkiewicz, who has recently moved into the lead off position.
?Becky has really done a great job, she gives us a great advantage leading off in front of a tough lineup,? Shanley said.
UR faced a tougher opponent as it faced the Saints of St.Lawrence Sunday, April 22. UR lost the first game 9-5 before rallying to win the second game 3-0.
The split brought UR to 2-2 in conference play, as it looks to finish its UCAA competition this weekend against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Skidmore College.
April 25, UR travels to play SUNY Fredonia who current record is 17-10-1, at 3 p.m. before returning to close out the regular season with home games Friday against the RPI at 4 p.m. and Skidmore at 11:30 a.m. on Dandelion Day.
RPI, the defending New York State Collegiate Athletic Association Champions, is currently 12-4-2 overall. Skidmore College stands at 5-11 overall and 2-4 in the UCAAs this year.
Coach Shanley is pleased with the way the team is play and optimistic about its upcoming competition.
?Fredonia has been playing great softball -? a win against them would be great,? she said. ?If we can play well Friday and Saturday, we should be in good shape in the UCAA.?
Junior catcher and co-captain Kristy Krivickas agreed. ?Everything is going great right now. We are playing the way we are capable of playing. Our offense is finally starting to come around, if we can keep up our strong defense we should definitely get at least three wins ? possibly six,? she said.
?As long as our bats stay alive we shouldn?t have much of a problem.?
