Elmira, N.Y. -- The Bombers, who are ranked fourth in the first National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll of the regular season, improved to 16-2 on the season and 4-0 in the Empire 8 after recording a pair of wins at Elmira. Ithaca won the first game 9-0 in six innings and then recorded an 11-0 win in five innings in the second game.

 

In the first game, the Bombers took a 1-0 in the top of the first inning as sophomore Hannah Shalett (Shepaug Valley/Bridgewater, Conn.) led off the game with a walk and later scored on a RBI-double from senior Kaitlyn Dulac (Bay View/East Greenwich, R.I.) with the only run Ithaca would need. The Bombers added a pair of runs in the third and then tacked on three more in the fifth and sixth innings for the 9-0 final.

 

Sophomore Nicole Cade (Beaverton/Portland, Ore.) threw a complete-game one-hitter with four strikeouts to improve to 8-1 on the season. Dulac was three-for-three at the plate with four RBI’s, while Shalett was two-for-three with three runs scored. Junior Mel Chinigo (Norwich free Academy/Norwich, Conn.) hit her first homerun of the season in the top of the sixth inning and recorded three RBIs.

 

Ithaca jumped out to a big lead early in the second game, plating six runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. The Bombers added a run in the second and four more in the third, while sophomore Carly Myers (Claremont Secondary/Vancouver/British Columbia, Canada) and freshman Allie Markovits (Middletown/Middletown) combined to no-hit the Soaring Eagles (2-6, 0-6 Empire 8), whose lone base-runner reached on an error in the second inning. Myers improved to 7-1 on the season.

 

Senior Leigh Bonkowski (The William School/Mystic, Conn.) was two-for-two at the plate with two RBIs, while Dulac went two-for-three with a pair of RBI doubles. Sophomore Erica Cutspec (Fort Plain/Fort Plain) was two-for-two with three runs scored and one RBI. Classmate Jessica Stangarone (Brewster/Brewster) was also two-for-two at the plate and scored two runs.

 

The Bombers will next host a doubleheader against Rensselaer on Sunday, April 2, at noon.