Softball Recap: Rochester Finds Playoff Glory Versus Royal

It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Rochester had no problem doing just that on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Royal Knights, sneaking past 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Warriors have posted since April 23rd.

Layna Demers

Earned Runs

05/23/25 @ Royal	0
05/22/25 vs Cashmere	1
05/08/25 vs Black Hills	1

Layna Demers spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 15 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Arissa LeBaron was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.

The win made it two in a row for Rochester and bumps their season record up to 16-6. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 2 run in those games. As for Royal, with the loss, they broke their seven-game winning streak and moved their record to 17-4.

Looking ahead, Rochester will take on Cedar Park Christian at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Warriors' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Eagles have averaged an impressive 10.4 runs per game this season. As for Royal, they will challenge Klahowya at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.