ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca softball team (28-11) rallied for a 6-2 victory over Alfred in its opening game of the Empire 8 Tournament Friday afternoon at Kostrinsky Field. The top-seeded Bombers will play No. 2 seed St. John Fisher in a winner's bracket game of the double-elimination tournament Saturday at 11 a.m.
Ithaca overcame an early 2-0 deficit to take the lead with a four-run fifth inning and sophomore pitcher
Jillian Olmstead shut out Alfred over 4 2/3 innings of relief without allowing a hit to get the victory. She struck out five and walked none, allowing only one batter to reach on a fielder's choice, and improved her record on the season to 14-6.
After Alfred scored twice in the top of the first inning, the Bombers got on the board with one run in the bottom of the fourth. Junior third baseman
Molly O'Donnell and junior second baseman
Julianne Vincent started the inning with singles to right field. After a fielder's choice, junior catcher
Lindsey Johnson reached on an infield single and a fielding error on the play allowed Vincent to score from second base as she slid home just ahead of the throw.
Ithaca then used four hits and a walk to take a 5-2 lead in the fifth. Freshman shortstop
Francesca Busa led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice by junior designated player
Jennifer Biondi and scored on an RBI single by sophomore first baseman
Sydney Folk that tied the game. After a walk and a single by Vincent loaded the bases, freshman center fielder
Maggie Maurice lined an RBI single to left to put the Bombers ahead. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Johnson made it 4-2 and Vincent came home on a wild pitch.
Biondi then tacked on one more when she drove a two-out home run over the fence in left-center for her first homer of the season and fifth of her career.
After being held hitless in the first two innings, the Bombers totaled nine over their last four turns at bat against two Alfred pitchers. Vincent went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while Biondi was 2-for-3.
Box Score and Play-by-play
