ITHACA, N.Y.-- The #16 Ithaca College softball team (17-5, 6-0 Empire 8) swept conference rival Rochester Institute of Technology (9-13, 4-4 Empire 8) in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The Bombers shut out the Tigers in both games with scores of 8-0 and 14-0. Ithaca is currently riding a 31 consecutive game conference win streak.

 

Both starters for the Bombers, senior Nicole Cade (Beaverton/Portland, Ore.) and senior Carly Myers (Claremont Secondary/Victoria, British Columbia), pitched complete, five-inning games for the Bombers. The win for Myers marked her ninth consecutive victory.

 

In the second inning of the opener, sophomore Caitlin Ryan (Allentown, Clarksburg, N.J.) got the Bombers on the board with a RBI single that scored senior Jessica Stangarone (Brewster/Brewster) from first base.

 

Ithaca added three more runs in third inning. With two outs in the inning, senior catcher Stacy Pelesz (Hudson/Livingston) hit a two RBI double that scored freshman Allison Greaney (John F. Kennedy/Iselin, N.J.) and freshman Kait Dolan (Victor/Farmington). Cade followed with a RBI double of her own that scored Pelesz from second. After three innings of play, the Bombers led the Tigers 4-0.

 

The Bombers secured the win in the bottom of the fourth inning by adding four runs to the score. With two outs in the inning, junior Chelsey Feldman (Hewlett/Lynbrook) hit a triple, her first extra-base hit on the season. Three consecutive singles by Dolan, Greaney and Cutspec added two more runs to the board. With Greaney on second and Cutspec on first, Pelesz came up to bat and hit her second, two-out, two RBI, double of the game, increasing her total RBI for the game to four. After five innings of play, the Bombers won the game 8-0.

 

Cade was sensational for the Bombers in the first game, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. She gave up just one hit and struck out 10 batters, a season high for her.  The victory marked her fourth consecutive win.

 

The Bombers’ hot bats carried over into the second game. Wasting no time to get on the board, the Bombers struck early, putting four runs on the board in the top of the first. The Bombers got a little help from the Tigers’ defense as RIT committed three errors in the inning.

 

The Bombers tacked two more on the board in the top of the second inning. With one out in the inning, Dolan singled. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Greaney followed by earning a walk. With runners on first and second and freshman catcher Kerry Barger (Carmel/Carmel) at the plate, the Tigers’ pitcher threw another wild pitch that allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Barger hit a RBI single that scored Dolan from third. With two outs in the inning, Cade hit a RBI single that scored Greaney. After just two innings of play, the Bombers were leading the Tigers 6-0.

 

Sophomore Caitlin Ryan (Allentown/Clarksburg, N.J.) led off the third inning with a solo shot into left field. The blast marked the first homerun this season for Ryan.

 

The Bombers had a seven-run lead going into the fifth inning. Freshman Courtney Noster (Clearview/Lorain, Ohio) opened the inning with a single to left field. With the bases loaded, sophomore Alyssa Guzman (Newburgh Free Academy/Newburgh) came into the game as a pinch hitter. She hit a two-RBI double, recording her first career double and first career RBI. Feldman and Dolan strung back-to-back RBI singles together. Greaney was up to bat next, and hit a two RBI single. Sophomore Danielle Fazzolare (Plainedge/North Massapequa) came in as a pinch hitter and knocked out a RBI single for her first career hit. After five innings of play, the Bombers led the Tigers 14-0.

 

Myers pitched the complete second game, giving up five hits with five strikeouts in the shutout. It was Myers’ third shutout on the season.

The Bombers head to Elmira Sunday for more Empire 8 competition in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.