Box Score Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. - Backed by a six-run effort on offense and a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Madeline Skellie, the Rochester Yellowjackets defeated the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team, 8-2 in today's Liberty League Tournament matchup. With the loss, the Engineers are eliminated from the tournament, concluding their season with a 26-11 record. The Jackets improve to 25-14.

Rochester will face Union in tomorrow's title game beginning at 10am. If necessary, a tiebreaker between the two squads will be played at 12:30pm.

Skellie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich Central), who earned the 7.0 inning complete game victory in the circle, gave up only two runs in the contest. She allowed ten hits and struck out six while walking none.

Rochester never trailed, lighting up the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the third to get things going. With the bases loaded, Natalee Sassaman (Phoenixville, PA/Pottstown) walked to bring in a run. That forced a pitching change by the Engineers, who brought in rookie Charlene Osmanski (Elmhurst, IL/York). Following the change, senior Liz Slupinski (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) was hit to bring in another run for a 2-0 Yellowjackets advantage.

The top of the fourth saw the visitors break the game wide open, capitalizing on several errors to push four runs across. After a hit batsman, catcher Sam Melvin (Chesterville, OH/Highland) reached on one of three errors by RPI in the frame. Osmanski got Goldman to strike out looking, but a bunt single moved the runners, one of whom scored on a throwing error by the Engineers' catcher.

Junior Cara Celorio (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) quickly followed, reaching on an error as Melvin scored and though Sassaman grounded out in the next play, she brought another run across to make it a 5-0 lead. A single up the middle off the bat of Slupinski drove in Rochester's sixth run of the contest.

Rensselaer broke through onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth as Osmanski singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs and cut the deficit to 6-2, but the Yellowjackets retaliated in the top of the seventh with two runs of their own.

The Engineers found themselves with the bases loaded and two outs on the board in the bottom of the seventh, but could not get past Skellie, who forced Sara Heller (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) into a ground out to secure the victory and advance Rochester into the title game.

Slupinski and Sassaman led Rochester offensively with two RBIs apiece. Osmanski batted in RPI's only runs of the game.

While Skellie earned the win, Jen Bach (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy) was slapped with the loss, surrendering two runs on two hits in a 2.0 inning effort. She struck out three and walked two.