Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box

TROY, N.Y. – Senior pitcher Beth Ameno earned a pair of wins by pitching 10.2 scoreless innings as the 25th-ranked University of Rochester softball team swept Rensselaer in a doubleheader, 7-0 and 6-3 at Doris Robison Field. With the wins, the Yellowjackets improve to 31-10 overall (8-0 Liberty League), while the Red Hawks fall to 21-8 (2-2 Liberty).

Ameno (Buffalo, NY/John F. Kennedy) surrendered just one hit and one walk, while striking out 11 over 7.0 innings in game one for the win. Her first four scoreless innings were matched by RPI starter Jen Bach (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy), who gave up a solo home-run to sophomore Erin Clark (Mannsville, NY/Sandy Creek Central) with one away in the fifth to break the tie.

The Yellowjackets tacked on four runs in the sixth to open up a 5-0 lead. Four of the first five batters reached via the base hit to kick-off the inning, including a two-run single off the bat of sophomore Elizabeth Slupinski (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg).

A two-run homer from freshman Kim Grimes (Oak Park, IL/River Forest) drove home the final two runs of game in the seventh. Sophomore Lindsay Macaluso (Amherst, NY/Sacred Heart) finished game one 3 for 4 with two runs scored, while Grimes went 2 for 4 with two runs and four runs batted in.

Bach allowed five runs on eight hits, with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings. She was relieved by classmate Felicia Bua (Gilford, NH/Gilford) in the sixth.

Macaluso drove the first pitch of game two over the left field wall for her team leading 11th home run of the season, giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead. The Yellowjackets scored three more in the top of the second to take a 4-0 advantage. Grimes drew a bases loaded walk, before freshman Nikki Lee DeSalvio (Beacon, NY/Beacon) drove home a pair with a single to left.

Rensselaer got one run back in the bottom of the inning after sophomore Genevieve Falco (Seaford, NY/Seaford) and Alysa Rochminski (Schenectady, NY/Colonie) came through with back-to-back base hits with one out in the inning. Rochminski was thrown out at third trying to stretch her double into a triple.

The Red Hawks pulled to within three (6-3) in the fourth by way of an RBI-double from senior Julianne Bass (Costa Mesa, CA/Newport Harbor) and a run-scoring groundout by Rochminski. Amino came on in relief of Rochester starter Sara Hutchinson (Oak Park, IL/River Forest) to record the final two outs of the inning on a strikeout and a groundout with the bases loaded.

Ameno scattered seven hits over the final 3.2 innings to pick up her second win of the afternoon. Bach also came on in relief in game two and worked 5.0 innings, while giving up two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.

Falco led the Red Hawks offensively by going 4 for 4 at the plate. Sophomore Becky Bailey (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) and Bass each went 2 for 4. Macaluso had another three-hit game for Rochester, finishing the twin bill 6 for 8.

The Red Hawks travel to Utica on Tuesday (3:30pm) for a non-league doubleheader, while the Yellowjackets conclude their regular season with a pair of games at SUNY-Fredonia on Tuesday (3pm).