Hoboken, N.J. -- The Ithaca College baseball team (10-3-1, 1-0 Empire 8), ranked 20th nationally, opened Empire 8 play by cruising to a 5-1 win over host Stevens (13-8) Saturday. The two teams play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday.

Sophomore shortstop Tim Locastro hit solo home runs in each of the first two innings and junior Pat Lemmo improved to 5-0, holding the Ducks to one run over his eight innings of work.

Locastro hit his first two home runs of the season to raise his slugging percentage to a team-leading .808. He led off the game with an opposite field home run then pulled a home run down the left field line with two outs in the top of the second.

He was part of Ithaca's two-run rally in the eighth, reaching base on a one-out infield error. Senior center fielder Mike Rosenbaum singed Locastro to third and senior second baseman Matt Keller followed with a run-scoring ground out. Senior first baseman Teagen Barresi singled in Rosenbaum to bring in the Bombers' final run.

Sophomore third baseman Colby Gee also recorded three hits, raising his season average to .500 (19 for 38). He drove in a run in the seventh inning, singling to left center one out after Keller led off the inning with a double.

Lemmo gave up  nine hits and three walks during his eight innings but worked out of trouble in nearly every inning; the Ducks stranded 10 runners, wasting one bases-loaded threat and leaving two runners on twice (their only run came on a solo home run in the bottom of the first).

Lemmo finished with seven strikeouts.

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