Whittier, Calif. -- The Ithaca College baseball team (4-2) gave up five runs over the final four innings, losing at Whittier (10-10) Tuesday. The Poets' win snapped Ithaca's four-game winning sterak.

The Bombers took a 1-0 lead in their first at-bat, then after Whittier opened up a 4-1 lead, pulled to within a run three separate times before the Poets sealed the win with three seventh-inning runs.

The middle of Ithaca's infield -- senior second baseman Matt Keller and sophomore shortstop Tim Locastro -- combined for four of Ithaca's six hits. Keller drove in three runs and Locastro scored a pair.

Locastro's two hits raised his season average to .550 (11 for 20) and his on-base percentage to .640/

They combined to put the Bombers ahead just three batters into the game. Locastro doubled to lead off the top of the first and scored one batter later when Keller reached on a one-out throwing error by Whittier's second baseman.

The Poets scored twice in the second and once in the third to go up 3-1. The Bombers got a run back in the top of the fifth thanks to a leadoff triple by senior first baseman Mike Preite and a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Tim Henry.

After Whittier scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead,a two-run sixth-inning double by Keller closed the Poet lead to a run. Locastro and senior outfielder Mike Rosenbaum opened with singes to set up Keller's two-RBI hit.

The Bombers face Hampden Sydney (6-10) Wednesday at noon in a neutral-site game at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Ithaca is idle Thursday, then takes on Pomona-Pitzer and the host Sagehens in games Friday at Claremont.

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