Cortland, N.Y. -- The third-ranked softball team defeated Cortland 11-1 in six innings in game one and 8-1 in game two at Cortland's Dragon Field on Wednesday. The Bombers have now won 14 straight, setting a new school record previously held by the 2002 national championship team. Ithaca has outscored the opposition 141-6 in that span, with eight of the games shortened to either five or six innings because of the eight-run rule. The Bombers are now 26-2 on the season.

 

In game one sophomore Nicole Cade (Beaverton/Portland, Ore.) picked up her 13th win of the season, pitching all six innings. The offense was led by senior Leigh Bonkowski (The Williams School/Mystic, Conn.), who went four-for-four with three RBIs and three runs scored, and was a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Senior Kaitlyn Dulac (Bay View/East Greenwich, R.I.) was two-for-four with three runs and one RBI, while junior Mel Chinigo (Norwich Free Academy/Norwich, Conn.) registered a triple and three RBIs of her own; her triple gave the Bombers a ten-run lead in the sixth, and the game was ended when Cortland failed to score in the ensuing half-inning. Also notching RBIs in the opener were Stacey Bartels (Skyview/Vancouver, Wash.) and Jessica Stangarone (Brewster/Brewster), who also had her 15th stolen base of the season.

 

Game two saw Bonkowski again fall a home run short of the cycle, going three-for-four with two RBIs and three runs scored; her triple in the sixth inning sparked a four-run frame, increasing the Bombers’ lead to 6-1. Chinigo also posted a three-for-four effort with a double, two runs scored, and three RBIs. The win went to sophomore Carly Myers (Claremont Secondary/Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), who threw seven innings allowing seven hits and striking out two; she registered a one-two-three bottom of the seventh. Myers is now 12-1 on the year.

 

Ithaca travels to Alfred Saturday for a 1 p.m. Empire 8 doubleheader. The Bombers have an 8-0 record in conference play.