Amanda Klug / Staff Photographer
On Sunday, April 21, women’s softball split a doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), earning the YellowJackets the Liberty League title with a record of 8-2.
This title gives UR the opportunity to host the Liberty League post-season tournament, which will be held May 3-5.
The first game was won by RPI in a 6-5 come-from-behind victory. The YellowJackets came out strong, outscoring the RPI Engineers 5-1. However, after three errors by the YellowJackets in the sixth inning, the Engineers seized the day.
In the final three innings of the game, the Engineers came back, scoring five unanswered runs to secure the win.
In the second game of the day, the YellowJackets once again started strong, scoring three runs in the first inning as well as a homer by junior Nina Korn.
However, RPI countered throughout the next few innings, scoring one run in the second with a homer by Gillian McCarthy and three more runs in the fourth.
Going into the bottom of the fourth, UR was down one run, 4-3. However, UR scored two runs after sophomore Sarah Wayson smacked a hit into center field, giving the YellowJackets a 5-4 lead by bringing in two RBI’s.
From then on, the game was scoreless. In the seventh, the YellowJackets clinched the win after the final out by Wayson. Wayson worked the full count and managed to strike out RPI batter, ending the game with the YellowJackets on top and earning the YellowJackets a 5-4 victory in their second match of the day.
This victory gave the YellowJackets an impressive 8-2 Liberty League record, earning them the Liberty League title over the Engineers, who finished their season with a strong 7-3 Liberty League record.
In the first game, sophomore Kristina Weltzin pitched the full game for RPI, earning them the victory while sophomore Brittany Grage pitched seven innings for the YellowJackets and took the loss. In the second game, Wayson pitched the full game to claim the win for UR.
Key players of the day for the YellowJackets included junior Megan Hennessy with two hits and an RBI in the first game, senior Gena Bradford Tume with two hits and two RBI’s in the first game, Wayson with two hits and two RBI’s in the second game, and Korn with two hits and two RBI’s in the second game.
The YellowJackets’ next game will finish out their regular season with four doubleheaders, all at home.
UR will take on SUNY Brockport on Tuesday, April 23, SUNY Cortland on Wednesday, April 24, Alfred University on Friday, April 26, and D’Youville College on Sunday, April 28.
The YellowJackets hope to end their regular season with a strong showing this week and to carry their growing momentum into the Liberty League Championships on May 3-5.
Cozen is a member of the class of 2015.
