Courtesy of UR Athletics
After winning all four of their games this week, softball has moved up to 10-7. On Saturday, March 31, the team triumphed over Ithaca College at home in a doubleheader, winning 2-1 and 6-5. Then, on Tuesday, the ’Jackets dropped Nazareth College to 2-14 after defeating them 4-1 and 6-1.
Ithaca third baseman Molly O’Donnell tripled home second baseman Julianne Vincent in the first inning, with junior pitcher Maddie Skellie giving up her first run of the day on an error. After pitching for 2.1 innings, freshman pitcher and designated hitter Sarah Wayson relieved Skellie, shutting out the Bombers for the remainder of the game, despite getting three runners to third base.
With time running out and the score still 1-0 Ithaca, UR finally scored in the sixth inning. Sophomore shortstop Meg Hennessy and senior pitcher Sara Hutchinson were able to run home after freshman pitcher Brittany Grage struck a double down the right field line. Grage then finished Ithaca off with a double play in the seventh.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Grage allowed four runs and Wayson allowed one, all of which stemmed from errant throws. This put UR down 5-1 heading into the seventh inning. Ithaca pitcher Jillian Olmstead nearly sealed the game by retiring Hennessy and senior center fielder Katie McLean. Freshman catcher and designated hitter Alyssa Murillo came through, though. She hit a grounder, which was not handled properly by O’Donnell. This allowed sophomore first baseman Nina Korn to come home. After more dropped catches and bad throws, the Yellowjackets managed to score four more times to win the game.
Skellie started the first game, throwing two hits, one of which resulted in a run for Nazareth second basewoman when the ball was thrown away after a hit by short stop Sara Cipperly. Wayson relieved her, throwing seven strikeouts, two balls and one hit over the next six innings.
Hennessy, who finished with one run and one RBI off of three hits, was the first to score for UR, tying the game 1-1. The tie was broken when senior left fielder Cara Celorio hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning; sophomore second baseman Kristen Baldino and senior right fielder Natalee Sassaman recorded the two runs. Celorio then proceeded to score on a single by Hennessy. With the bases loaded in the sixth, Wayson managed to strike out the side to keep the score 4-1.
Nazareth drew first blood in the second game, scoring an unearned run in the top of the first due to a fielding error by the yellow and blue. Grage did not give up any more runs for the rest of the game, though, limiting Nazareth to this lone score.
In the second inning, wild throws resulted in three unearned runs for UR. Then, in the fifth, Korn slammed her third home run of the year to center field, scoring another run for the ’Jackets. Celorio then picked up a run of her own. In the sixth, Melvin exploited a wild pitch to increase the lead to 6-1.
UR softball plays its next game on April 7, taking on Liberty League cross-town rival Rochester Institute of Technology in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Ondo is a member of the class of 2014.
