ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT softball team (13-17, 4-6 Liberty League) dropped a pair of extra-inning contests to Liberty League foe University of Rochester (19-19, 8-2 Liberty League) at sunny Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Yellowjackets took game one in 11 innings, 2-1 and won game two in eight innings, 3-2.
 
Rochester moves into sole possession of first place in the league standings, while RIT is currently in fourth. Both Rochester and RIT have two conference games left, both against St. Lawrence next weekend.
 
In game one, a great pitchers duel between RIT's Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) and Rochester's Eleni Wechsler ensued. The two hurlers matched zeroes for the first seven innings. In the top of the eighth inning, Kayla Kibling hit a two-out run scoring single to open the scoring for Rochester. In the bottom half of the inning, Amanda Cook (Royal Palm Beach, FL/Suncoast) hit a two-out single to right field that scored McKenzie Martin (Deposit, NY/Deposit), who singled to lead off the inning to tie the game.
 
RIT had a golden chance to win the game in the 10th inning, after a runner was placed on second base to start the inning via league rules. RIT would have runners on second and third with no outs. Martin grounded out to shortstop for the first out, as Emily Lazarus (Whitehall, PA/Allentown Catholic) held on the hit. As soon as the shortstop threw to first, Lazarus raced to the plate but was thrown out by first baseman Rachel Pletz to keep the game tied.
 
In the top of the 11th inning, Rochester's Mackenzie Cronin ripped a double off the fence in left center field to score Jocelynn Blackshear to make it 2-1. RIT would get the tying run to third with one out in the bottom half, but a pair of ground outs ended the threat.
 
Wechsler fired 149 pitches in the 11-inning complete game, allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out nine batters. Valentine threw just 113 pitches in her 11 innings, allowing eight hits and one earned run, while striking out nine batters and not walking anyone. She now has 105 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched this season.
 
It was RIT's longest game since a 1-0, 16-inning win at Ithaca in the Empire 8 playoffs on May 1, 2009.

In game two, RIT jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring a run on a RBI double by Cook in the first inning and throwing error on the catcher as Cook tried to steal second in the third inning. Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) scored from third on the overthrow.
 
Rochester would tie the game with a pair of runs in the fifth inning on the strength of four hits. Harleigh Kaczegowicz and Kibling hit back-to-back doubles to start the inning, cutting the lead to 2-1. Blackshear would drive in Kibling with a base hit to center, tying the game.
 
RIT had a golden chance to take the lead in the sixth inning, as Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) hit a one-out triple to right field. Sam Killian (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) would reach on an infield hit that spun fair right in front of home plate, giving RIT runners on first and third. Emily Shoemaker (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) would pinch run for Killian and attempt to steal second. Kaczegowicz would fire down but have her throw cut off by Kibling, who threw back home, as Blaker tried to steal. The throw was on target, getting Blaker at the plate to keep the game tied.
 
Rochester would score the go-ahead run in the eighth, as Pletz pinch hit and doubled in Wechsler, who reached on a one-out single.
 
Elizabeth Bourne picked up the win for the Yellowjackets, scattering eight hits and one walk, while striking out three batters in the complete game effort.
 
Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) pitched well for RIT, but took the loss, allowing nine hits and three earned runs with one walk and four strikeouts. Cook would go 3-for-4 with a run batted in for the Tigers.
 
Rochester leads the all-time series between the two schools, 24-19. Last year, the two teams split a doubleheader at Rochester, as Valentine tossed her first career shutout in RIT'

RIT is right back in action on Sunday, with a road doubleheader at former Empire 8 foe Nazareth College. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.