Day two of the MCAC crossover brought a challenging split for Rochester Community and Technical College, as the Yellowjackets absorbed a tough loss to Central Lakes College–Brainerd before responding with a solid win over Minnesota North College–Rainy River.
RCTC opened the day hosting Central Lakes College–Brainerd and quickly found itself playing from behind. CLC struck early with two runs in the top of the first and added three more in the second to build a 5–0 advantage. Zoey Clark worked through constant traffic in the circle, while RCTC's defense battled but could not slow down a lineup that recorded 20 hits on the day.
The Yellowjackets showed their character in the middle innings. In the fourth, Clark helped her own cause with a two-run home run to left, scoring Jayda Bednarek and cutting the deficit to 5–2. RCTC continued to chip away in the sixth, highlighted by Ivette Mendoza's clutch two-run double to right that brought Clark and Cason Forbrook home and pulled the Yellowjackets within 7–5. Ella Bergan also had a strong offensive showing, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, consistently creating pressure at the top of the lineup.
However, the turning point came in the seventh inning, when Central Lakes erupted for nine runs. The Raiders sent 13 batters to the plate, punctuating the outburst with a three-run homer from Lauren Soltis. Despite a two-run single by Forbrook in the bottom half of the inning, RCTC could not recover, falling 16–7. Clark and Alyssa Knudson combined in the circle, while RCTC totaled 11 hits, including RBI contributions from Clark, Forbrook, and Mendoza.
The Yellowjackets bounced back later in the day with a strong 7–2 win vs Minnesota North College–Rainy River, turning in one of their most steady all-around performances of the season. After two scoreless innings, RCTC broke through in the third with a four-run frame that capitalized on defensive miscues. Amelie Dohlman lifted a sacrifice fly to score Bergan, and continued pressure led to three unearned runs, capped by an RBI single from KK Hemming.
Alyssa Knudson was sharp in the circle, working six innings and allowing just two runs on seven hits. She kept Rainy River off balance and limited hard contact, while RCTC's defense made timely plays despite a few errors.
Offensively, Clark delivered again in the fifth with a two-run home run to center, pushing the lead to 6–1 and further swinging momentum. Rainy River answered with a single run in the bottom half, but the Yellowjackets remained in control. In the seventh, Bergan drove in RCTC's final run with an RBI single, capping a balanced attack that saw five different players record RBIs.
Zoey Clark closed the door in the seventh with a scoreless inning, securing the win and the day's split. The Jackets kick-off conference play next Tuesday as they travel to MN West in Worthington.
