ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College softball team opened Empire 8 tournament play with two wins Friday afternoon. The Bombers defeated Utica in the first contest by a score of 3-0 before taking down Alfred, 4-2. The victories put Ithaca in the Empire 8 Championship game on Saturday, and move the team's overall record to 23-11 on the season.

Game 1: Ithaca 3, Utica 0
Senior pitcher Sam Bender threw a complete-game three-hit shutout and picked up her 14th victory of the season. Bender allowed three singles in three separate half-innings. Utica had its best chance to score in the top of the fourth when runners were stranded at second and third. Bender responded by striking out the side in the top of the fifth. Over seven innings of work, Bender had five strikeouts and issued just one walk.
 
Ithaca took the lead in the bottom of the third when Jessie Fleck singled and advanced to third on a throwing error. She came in to score on a Julianne Vincent single. Two insurance runs scored in the bottom of the sixth, both were unearned. With two outs, Fleck singled to shortstop to bring in pinch-runner Jenna Tambasco and that was followed by a Francesca Busa single to bring in Fleck.
 
Ithaca had eight hits in the contest, two each from Busa, Fleck and Monica Capolongo. Busa's first-inning triple was the Bombers' only extra-base hit. 

Game 2: Ithaca 4, Alfred 2
Bender struck out two and allowed just two earned runs against Alfred to record her second complete-game victory of the day. Capolongo recorded a triple and picked up a RBI in a 2-for-3 performance. Sophomore Casey Gavin went 1-for-3, including a home run.

Alfred scored the first run of the game in the opening frame, giving the Saxons a 1-0 lead on two hits. The Bombers responded with a three-run effort in the fourth. Gavin started the rally with a solo home run to left field, the first of her collegiate career. With a runner at first later in the inning, Capolongo hit a triple down the right field line to put the Bombers ahead, 2-1. An Alfred infield error resulted in the final run of the inning, putting Ithaca up by a score of 3-1.

With a runner at third and one out in the sixth, junior Nina Lindberg placed a perfect bunt in the middle infield to reach base and score the fourth Bomber run of the game. Although Alfred cut into the lead with a run in the seventh, Ithaca held on to secure the 4-2 win.

Alfred and Utica battle at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 3 for the right to play the Bombers in the E8 Championship game. First pitch for Ithaca is scheduled for 1 p.m.