1980
MARIETTA, Ohio—Ithaca capped a comeback from a tournament-opening loss to win four straight outings and capture the program’s first national championship.
The Bombers suffered a 7-4 loss to Upsala in the first game of the World Series. Facing elimination, the Bombers scored 13 runs in the first three innings of their next game, a 23-7 victory over Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Freshman designated hitter Mark Fagan had two home runs and two doubles and drove in seven runs in the win. Junior Doug DeCarr then tossed a complete-game eight-hitter as Ithaca beat Upsala, 7-1.
To win the national championship the Bombers had to defeat host Marietta twice in the same afternoon. In the first game, Ithaca fell behind, 4-1, but thanks in part to some stellar relief work from freshman Dave Axenfeld, the Bombers climbed back into the game and won, 5-4, on senior outfielder Ted French’s eighth-inning home run.
The Ithaca bats exploded again in the title game as the Bombers came away with a 12-5 win. Junior third baseman Jim Barletto hit two solo home runs, junior outfielder Rick Watts added a solo home run and scored four runs and senior captain John Nicolo, the team’s shortstop, was 5-for-6 with three RBIs. Marty Olmstead earned the complete-game victory after just one day’s rest.
Nicolo was named World Series most valuable player after setting records for most runs (nine) and hits (12) in the tournament.
Five members of that championship team were also teammates on Ithaca’s 1979 national champion football team: Nicolo, DeCarr, senior John Bertino and sophomores Bob Campese and Fred Yaple.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
R |
H |
E |
| Ithaca |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
- |
12 |
14 |
1 |
| Marietta |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
- |
5 |
9 |
6 |
E — Hopkins (IC); Cava (MC) 2, Mohl (MC), Schaly (MC),
Warner (MC), Bishop (MC).
DP — Marietta 1.
LOB — Ithaca 8; Marietta 7.
2B — Vasquez (MC), Schaly (MC).
3B — Lee (MC).
HR — Watts (IC), Barletto (IC) 2.
SB — Watts (IC), Nicolo (IC), French (IC), Preston (IC),
Bertino (IC), Hopkins (IC).
SF — French (IC).
|
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| Olmstead (IC), W |
9.0 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
| Weiermiller (MC), L |
3.1 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
| Burns (MC) |
1.0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| Bishop (MC) |
2.0 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
| Barton (MC) |
2.1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
WP — Weiermiller (MC).
T-2:35.
A-1,100
