Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Ithaca College softball team (9-3) split a road doubleheader with King's (9-5) Thursday night, dropping the Monarchs by a score of 12-9 before falling in the second game, 4-3.

Senior Sam Bender picked up the win in game one. She gave up just one earned run and allowed nine hits in 4.0 innings of work. Sophomore Laura Quicker pitched the final 3.0 innings in relief, giving up two earned runs and four hits. Senior Julianne Vincent was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and four runs scored. Classmate Sydney Folk also put in a dominant performance, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a team-best six RBI.

Ithaca jumped out to the early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as the Bombers scored two runs on two hits. Ithaca went up 5-0 in the second frame thanks to a three-run home run from Folk, her third of the season.

Most of the Bombers' offense came in the third inning, as Ithaca scored five more runs on five hits. After a bases-loaded walk scored Ithaca's first run, singles from Francesca Busa and Vincent improved the Bombers' lead to 8-0. Folk added to her RBI total with a two-run double later in the inning, capping the scoring drive and pushing the lead to 10-0.

King's regained some confidence in the bottom of the fourth, as the Monarchs rallied to score five runs on five hits and an error to put the score at 10-5 in favor of the Bombers. Ithaca responded with two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Vincent hit her second homer of the season in the start of the frame before Folk hit her own solo shot to put the score at 12-5.

King's put together another strong inning in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs on four hits and one error. Despite the runs, the Monarch's rally fell short to give Ithaca the 12-9 victory.

In game two, Quicker was charged with the loss after giving up four unearned runs and striking out two in 4.0 innings of work. Sophomore Allison Macari allowed just one hit and struck out two in the final two innings of play. Junior Monica Capolongo paced Ithaca with two hits in four at-bats and picked up an RBI. Junior Nicole Ciricillo went 1-for-1 in the contest, hitting her first career RBI in a pinch hitting situation.

The Bombers once again scored the first run of the contest in the top of the first. With Vincent on second base, sophomore Kelly Robichaud sent a single through the middle to score Vincent and give Ithaca the early 1-0 lead. The Monarchs responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, coming on one hit and four Bomber errors.

Ithaca tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third, as Vincent once again crossed home thanks to an RBI single from Capolongo. King's answered with another two-run frame, as the Monarchs jumped out to a 4-2 lead on three hits and two errors in the bottom of the third.

Despite Ciricillo's pinch-hit solo home run in the top of the seventh, Ithaca was unable to score again, giving King's the 4-3 win in game two.

The Bombers are back in action on Saturday, March 29 in a home doubleheader against Houghton. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.