Mansfield, Conn. - The No. 2 Eastern Connecticut softball team (43-2) used clutch two-out hitting in a 6-0 victory over Ithaca (32-14) Saturday night at the NCAA Division III Softball Willimantic, Conn. Regional, hosted by Eastern Connecticut. The host Warriors had a 40-game winning streak ended earlier in the tournament and knocked the Bombers out of the tournament with the win. Ithaca was designated as the home team at Eastern Connecticut's field for the elimination game, and the Bombers finished fourth in the eight-team regional.

Five of Eastern Connecticut's six runs came in to score with two outs, with the only exception being a leadoff solo home run in the third inning.

Ithaca left eight runners on base in the game, as those runners reached on six hits and two walks. Sophomore first baseman Sydney Folk was 3-for-3 with a double to lead the Bomber offense. Freshman shortstop Francesca Busa was 2-for-4 and finished the tournament with eight hits in 13 at-bats, for a .615 batting average.

Bomber sophomore Sam Bender (18-6) started and took the loss in five innings of work. Bender's 36 starts in the season was the second-highest single-season total in Ithaca history. Jillian Olmstead worked two scoreless innings in relief.

It was the ninth all-time NCAA playoff meeting between the Bombers and Eastern Connecticut, with the Warriors holding a 6-3 advantage in the NCAAs in meetings between the two programs, which have combined to win six national championships. With two wins and two losses in the 2012 NCAA playoffs, Ithaca's all-time record in the national tournament is now 69-54.

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