ITHACA, N.Y. -- The softball team (22-10, 11-1 Empire 8) clinched a berth in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament by sweeping visiting Utica (10-24, 2-10 Empire 8) by scores of 10-0 and 13-1. The Bombers play a doubleheader at Elmira Sunday and can clinch a tie for the league's regular-season title with a sweep.
Junior Alison Greaney (John F. Kennedy/Iselin, N.J.) threw a complete-game one-hit shutout in the opener and hit a grand slam in game two.
Greaney's fourth one-hitter of the season marked the second time she's allowed just one base-runner in a complete game (Utica hit a second-inning single). She needed just 50 pitches to pick up the win, improving to 9-1 on the season. She struck out two batters and threw her 13th career shutout.
Junior second baseman Kait Dolan (Farmington/Victor) and freshman third baseman Molly O'Donnell (Niskayuna/Niskayuna) both drove in three runs to lead Ithaca's offense. O'Donnell hit a three-run home run in Ithaca's seven-run fourth. Dolan, who had three of Ithaca's seven hits, added a two-run single in that inning and doubled in a run in the third.
The Bombers scored their first run on an infield throwing error that allowed freshman center fielder Jennifer Biondi (Morris Knolls/Denville, N.J.) to come home. Dolan singled in senior catcher Katherine Wilson (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) in the third and later scored when the Pioneers caught an Ithaca base runner in a rundown between first and second.
Junior catcher Kerry Barger (Carmel/Carmel) added a two-run double in the fourth.
Greaney singled twice and hit a sixth-inning grand slam to pace Ithaca's 12-hit barrage in the nightcap. She drove in a career-best five runs (two short of the program's single-game record). Her home run was the seventh of her career (ninth all-time at Ithaca).
As a team the Bombers have hit 22 home runs this spring, matching their second-highest single-season total. The 1999 team hit a school-record 26.
Barger went three-for-three, including a double. Junior Brittany Lillie (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Honeoye Falls) singled twice and scored three runs. O'Donnell drove in two runs.
Senior Alyssa Brook (Monmouth Regional/Tinton Falls, N.J.) allowed just two hits over six innings and struck out eight Pioneers. She's 8-6 this spring and 24-18 in her career. Brook raised her career total to 246 strikeouts, sixth on the program's all-time list.
A pair of wins in Sunday's conference finale at Elmira would give the Bombers their 10th straight Empire 8 regular-season title (they've won or shared every one since softball became a league sport in 2001).
Game one box score
Game two box score
