Utica, N.Y. -- Ithaca (18-10, 7-1 E8) swept the host Utica Pioneers (12-16, 3-7 E8) on Saturday, 13-0 in game one and 14-6 in the second game. The Bombers return to Kostrinsky field on Sunday to host the Elmira Soaring Eagles in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Sophomore Brittany Lillie (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Honeoye Falls) and junior Brooke Kithcart (Minisink Valley/Slate Hill) combined to toss a one-hit shutout in the first game and faced just 16 batters in the 5 inning contest. Each pitcher tallied three strikeouts and Lillie picked up the win to improve to 5-1 on the season. She also picked up the win in the second game after two innings of pitching in relief.
Freshman Annmarie Forenza (Hunterdon Central/Whitehouse Station, N.J.) went 6-for-8 in two games while scoring six runs and driving in four. Classmate Julianna Van Meter (Rome Free Academy/Rome) pounded out three hits, including a triple and led the team with seven runs batted in on the day. Lillie went 5-for-7 in two games, and was a double away from hitting for the cycle in the second game. She blasted her third home run of the season in walk-off fashion to end the second game in just five innings due to the eight run mercy rule.
Seven Bombers put together multi-hit performances in game one as Ithaca scored 12 runs in the first two innings. In the first inning, Forenza singled to left center and later scored on a passed ball. Sophomores Kerry Barger (Carmel/Carmel) and Allison Greaney (John F. Kennedy/Iselin, N.J.) both singled to left field and later sscored on a single by junior Danielle Fazzolare (Plainedge/North Massapequa). Later in the inning, Van Meter singled home junior Alyssa Guzman (Newburgh Free Academy/Newburgh) who reached on a walk, and sophomore Courtney Noster (Clearview/Lorain, Ohio) who singled to the left side. Greaney scored on the single by Noster.
In the second, junior Caitlin Ryan (Allentown/Clarksburg, N.J.), Lillie, and Barger singled to start the inning. Van Meter smacked her second two-run single of the game later in the inning to score Barger and Fazzolare, who reached on an error. Forenza followed with a two-run single of her own, and drove in Van Meter and Noster, who was hit by a pitch to reach base. Lillie single home Forenza for her second hit of the inning and capped off a seven run inning by the Bombers.
The second game was tied at 6-6 until the bottom of the fifth when Ithaca scored eight runs - all with two outs - to end the game. Lillie led of the fifth inning with a single. Greaney followed and reached base on an error. Junior Regina Douglas (James Caldwell/West Caldwell, N.J.) entered the game in a pinch-hit appearance and drove in Lillie on a sacrifice. Later in the inning, Noster doubled, which scored Greaney. Van Meter followed with a two-run triple that scored Noster and Guzman, who reached on a walk. Forenza smacked a two-run homer - her fourth of the season - to give Ithaca the 12-6 advantage. Ryan drew a base on balls in her next at-bat. Lillie then hit the second two-run homer of the inning to end the game at 14-6.
Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two
