With 21 NCAA playoff appearances in the last 28 years and the 2002 national championship, the Ithaca College softball team continues to be one of the school’s most successful programs, posting:
* 54 winning seasons, including 49 of the last 50 years;
* An overall record of 1,346-703-6 in 56 years of competition;
* A winning percentage of .656
* Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) or NCAA playoff berths in 37 of the last 47 seasons.
Ithaca has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series, including nine World Series trips in the last 25 years. The Bombers lead the nation with 29 all-time NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. The Bomber program has had 13 players earn 18 All-American honors since 1985.
The Bombers have placed nine players on the CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American teams, and had seven Empire 8 Players of the Year, three Empire 8 Pitchers of the Year, one two-time Liberty League Player of the Year, one Liberty League Rookie of the Year and one Liberty League Pitcher of the Year.
Following three seasons as an assistant, Kelly Robichaud '16 stepped in as interim head coach of the softball program for the 2022-23 academic year. She led the Bombers to a 25-10-1 regular season record and 10-4 mark within the Liberty League, which qualified them as the No. 3 seed in the Liberty League Tournament where they finished as runner-up. Ithaca finished the season with a 27-12-1 overall record, which also saw six members of the squad earn All-Liberty League and Anna Cornell earned NFCA Second Team All-Region, while fellow hurler Riley Piromalli garnered Third Team recognition. The 2024 campaign saw the latest CSC Academic All-American in Haley Petrucci as she earned Third Team honors. Petrucci slugged a Liberty League best 12 home runs, which finished tied for 17th within NCAA Division III and she finished tied with head coach Kelly Robichaud for third most in a single season.
In 2020, IC Hall of Famer Hannah Quintana '07 was hired to replace Deb Pallozzi, who retired after a 31-year career at Ithaca. In Quintana's first year, the Bombers finished 2-8, before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the nation. The Bombers recovered from the 2020 season very well, posting a 25-8 record in year two under Quintana in 2021. Ithaca concluded the 2022 season with a 21-17 record and for the second-straight year they earned the No. 2 seed in the Liberty League Championship tournament. The Bombers had two All-Liberty League First Team selections in Anna Cornell and Julia Loffredo, a pair of Second Team selections in Allison Dell'Orto and Sela Scheinman, while Tava Kasper was recognized on the All-Liberty League Honorable Mention Team.
Retired coach Deb Pallozzi guided the Bombers to a 886-412-2 record during her 31-year career including 30 consecutive winning seasons. Her 1991 and 1992 teams posted back-to-back 20-win seasons, an accomplishment topped by 10 straight 25-win seasons from 1994 to 2003. Each of those seasons resulted in an NCAA playoff appearance. Ithaca was the NCAA northeast region runner-up in 1994, 1995 and 1997 and won the regional title in 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. In 2002 Ithaca again won the regional title and went on to win its first national championship. In 2005 another regional title put the Bombers back in the finals, where they finished fourth. Ithaca won NCAA Regionals in 2008, 2010 and made it to Super Regionals in 2016 in Ithaca. In 2018, the Bombers won the Ithaca Regional and Rochester Super Regional to earn a trip to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship in Oklahoma City, where the Bombers finished tied for third place. Pallozzi is a 2011 inductee into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and her staff has garnered four NFCA Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year awards.
The Bombers posted a 3-3 record under head coach Jean Lewis in their initial season. In 1970 Doris Kostrinsky took over the program and guided Ithaca to prominence during her 17 seasons. Under Kostrinsky, Ithaca was an annual contender for postseason play. Early playoff opportunities were limited to the New York State Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NYSAIAW) tournament. The Bombers won titles in 1972 and 1975 and finished second three times. In 1982 the team made an appearance at the AIAW Division II national tournament and finished ninth. Ithaca went to the NCAA Division III World Series a year later and placed fifth.
Standout performers like pitchers Jo Burruby and Vicki Scott were among Ithaca’s early leaders. Offensive standouts included Monique Echternach and Nancy Kleinsmith. Ithaca’s first softball all-Americans were recognized in 1985 when Carol Buckheit and Mildred Piscopo received first-team honors. Buckheit, a shortstop, earned a repeat selection in 1986, joined by outfielder Maria Kramer, who was a second-team honoree.
Jane Jacobs took over as coach in 1987 and led the team to a 20-11 record and an NCAA playoff berth. Her 1988 team finished 17-12. Piscopo, a catcher and third baseman, set eight school records, including most career hits (124), doubles (27), triples (16) and RBIs (70). Her mark for triples still stands. Pitcher Kathy Volpi set five school records from 1984-87, including most career victories (37). Wendy Haft, a 1988 graduate, set a single-season record for stolen bases (24).
In 1996 the Bombers reached the Division III championship for the first time since 1983. After losing the opening game of the regional playoffs, Ithaca won four straight to earn a spot in the six-team NCAA championship. Ithaca lost to Simpson (1-0) and Allegheny (2-0) at the championship.
In 1997 Ithaca again lost its opening playoff game, then won three in a row. A 5-3 loss to host Wheaton (Mass.) ended the season. In 1998 Ithaca won a school-record 31 games and placed third in the regional.
The 1999 team swept through the regional playoffs and earned the program’s third trip to nationals. In 2000 the Bombers dropped an early game to Salisbury State, then defeated them in back-to-back games to advance to nationals. 2001 was another comeback as the team again dropped an early game, this time to Oneonta, and came back to advance for the third consecutive season.
In 2002 the Bombers defeated King’s (Pa.) and Geneseo to open up regional play undefeated. The tournament was called due to a torrential rainstorm and as the only undefeated team Ithaca received the bid to nationals. At nationals the team won its first three games to advance to the national championship game. Lake Forest defeated the Bombers, 4-2, to force a second championship game. Ithaca defeated the Lakers, 1-0, to win the title.
A year later Ithaca won its first two games in the regional playoffs before falling to Cortland and Union. The 2004 team finished as regional runner-up.
The following year Ithaca again came out of the consolation bracket to claim the regional title, then recorded wins over Alma and William Paterson in the championship finals before a pair of one-run extra-inning losses.
Pallozzi has coached several outstanding performers. First baseman Amy Bannon was selected twice to the academic all-district team. After transferring to Ithaca from the junior college ranks, pitcher Stacy Johnson set school records for career strikeouts (191), season wins (17) and season strikeouts (112). Johnson posted a 31-8 record and a 1.43 ERA for her career. Nancy Liskiewicz, a four-year starter at shortstop, set the Bomber record for assists (346). Outfielder Kim Lamoureaux set career records for RBIs (87) and hits (147).Infielder Jen Blum set school records for games played (152), career RBIs (96) and career runs (98). Margo McGowan, a first-team academic all-American, hit .335 for her career. In 2019, two-time Liberty League Player of the Year Vanessa Brown broke the school record for hits (224).
In 2001 first baseman Laura Remia was named the Division III Honda Player of the Year and set the NCAA career home run record with 49 (topping the old record of 44). Remia’s name is all over the Bomber record books, ranking second in career batting average (.420) and first in career RBIs (187), hits (221) and runs (168). In 2002 catcher Kristin Furdon received her second all-America selection (her first was in 2000). Abby Hanrahan, a 2003 graduate, set the school record with 576 career strikeouts.
Kaitlyn Dulac earned NFCA Third-Team All-American honors in 2006 after batting .496 and driving in 42 runs in just 37 games. The 2006 team finished with a program-best 40-7 record and advanced to the Division III World Series.
First-Team NFCA All-Americans Hannah Shalett and Nicole Cade led the Bombers back to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 as the team posted a 35-9 record. Shalett was named NCAA Division III Catcher of the Year that season. Erica Cutspec became an all-American in 2008 by earning third-team honors from the NFCA as did Sydney Folk in 2012.
8/6/2024
