ROCHESTER, N.Y. (April 22, 2009) - The University of Rochester rallied to score four runs – three unearned – in the bottom of the fifth inning to earn a 4-3 victory over Utica College and a doubleheader sweep of the Pioneers.
Rochester took game one, 6-4. The Yellowjackets, ranked 25th in the current Division III Coaches' Poll, improved to 25-10 overall. Utica is 12-18.
Sara Hutchinson earned the win in both games. In the opener, she allowed five hits, one unearned run, and struck out five. Brittany Hylen relieved, giving up four hits, three runs – two unearned – walked one, and struck out two in two innings. Hylen started the nitecap, but the Pioneers reached her for seven hits and three earned runs in 3.1 innings. She walked one and did not have a strikeout. Hutchinson relieved in the fourth. Over the final 3.2 innings, she yielded two hits, noo runs, and struck out three. She improved her record to 8-3.
Kristen Levin took the game one loss for Utica. In six innings, she gave up six hits, six runs (four earned), walked two, and struck out two. Haley Butler pitched game two. She allowed four hits, four runs (three unearned), walked six, and struck out one. Levin is 6-9, Butler 1-4.
Rinae Olsen had two hits, including a home run, in game two. Katelyn Pitcher was 2 for 2 with one run scored and one RBI. Levin had an RBI single in the fourth.
Pitcher was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second, forcing home the first Utica run. In the third, Olsen hit a long home run to left field with two outs. The Pioneers made it 3-0 in the fourth. Pitcher singled and was sacrificed to second. Claire Gerlach singled off Hylen's glove, putting runners on the corners. Hutchinson entered the game for Rochester. She yielded an RBI single by Levin, then retired Abby Drew on a comebacker and struck out Olsen.
The fifth inning was bizarre in both halves. With two down in Utica's half, Angel Donaghue reached on an error and Pitcher singled up the middle. With Kim Martin at the plate, Hutchinson missed on a 2-2 count and Martin headed towards first with the runners advancing. Martin was summoned back to the plate with the runners holding their spots. The umpires eventually ruled that a runner had come off second base when Martin was sent back to the plate. The runner was tagged for the third out.
In Rochester's half, M.C. Wagner singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Cara Celorio. Lindsay Macaluso singled to right center, moving Celorio to third. Katie McLean's pop fly to center landed for a single, then got past the outfielders. Celioro scored, Macaluso took third, and McLean reached second. Nikki DiSalvio walked, loading the bases. Liz Slupinski lined to Pitcher at short and she doubled Macaluso off third. Erin Clark's pop to short left was dropped when two fielders collided. McLean scored. Juliana Nicholson was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Brittany Celeste walked, forcing home DiSalvio. With pinch-hitter Melissa Altemose at bat, Clark scored the eventual gamewinning run on a passed ball.
Game one was less dramatic. Abby Drew's single eluded an outfielder, scoring Gerlach in the first inning. Rochester went ahead on an RBI groundout by McLean and a throwing error. Macaluso homered in the third for a 3-1 lead. In the fourth, Celeste singled home two runs and Celorio added an RBI single for a 6-1 lead.
Utica scored three in the top of the sixth. With one out and one on, Drew, Olsen, and Haley Butler singled to produce a run. Andrea Curley's ground ball struck Olsen running from second to third. Olsen was called out, Curley was awarded a base hit, and the runners were sent back to their bases. Rebecca Corsones' fly ball was dropped, scoring two more runs.
In game one for the Pioneers, Drew and Curley had two hits apiece. For Rochester, Macaluso was 2 for 2 with two runs scored. The home run was her 10th of the season, one shy of the single-season record.
