WHITTIER, Calif. – The Ithaca College baseball team took down Whittier College, 13-1 and 10-6 (12 innings) in Wednesday's doubleheader at Memorial Field in Whittier, Calif. Ithaca is now 6-4 overall and has won four straight. Over the past three contests, the Bombers have scored 23 runs over the final three innings of each game.
GAME ONE – Ithaca 13, Whittier 1Ithaca erupted for 13 runs on 17 hits, including three home runs in the opener. Ten different players recorded at least one hit and eight drove one run or more. The Bombers also drew nine walks for the third time this season.
Whittier plated a run in the bottom of the first on a one-out double after its lead-off hitter also notched a two-base hit, but that was the only lead the Poets would hold in the opener.
Ithaca took the lead in the top of the fifth, 2-1, on four hits. Senior
Zach Cole led off with a single but was retired trying to steal second. Freshman
Jake Generali followed with a walk, moved up to second on a single by senior
John Stanley, and scored on a base hit from junior
Trevor Thompson to tie the game. Freshman
Andrew Bailey put the Bombers in front with the third-straight single which plated Stanley.
The Bombers added another run in the sixth on a single from Generali that pushed home freshman
Sam Little. Ithaca had an opportunity to tack on more runs with the bases loaded and one out, but back-to-back fly outs ended the inning.
In the top of the seventh, freshman
Webb Little belted his first career home run to give Ithaca a three-run edge, 4-1.
Ithaca put the game out of reach with five runs in the eighth inning. Thompson stroked a solo homer to jump start the rally with one out, and affter a pitching change, six straight Bombers reached base to account for the other four runs. Bailey, W. Little and Henchey all drew walks, while Cole, S. Little and freshman
Matt Carey collected singles. The inning was capped off by a sacrifice fly from Generali.
The Bombers tacked on four more runs in the ninth, highlighted by a three-run home run from S. Little, the first of his career, with Carey and sophomore
Jonathan Ripic on base.
S. Little paced the offense with a 2-for-4 opener and five RBI, while Cole (3-for-6) and Stanley (3-for-3) each tallied three hits apiece. Thompson (2-for-5) and Henchey (2-for-3) also recorded multi-hit games.
Senior
Brandon Diorio tossed the best game of his career, going eight innings and allowing just one run. Diorio scattered nine hits and struck out three batters.
Freshman
Zach Zottola pitched the ninth inning and gave up two hits.
GAME TWO: Ithaca 10, Whittier 6 (12 innings)In the first extra innings game of the season, the Bombers plated four runs (all unearned) in the 12th thanks to a two-run error and a pair of RBI doubles from Generali and senior
Cameron Oathout.
Oathouht went 5-for-6 in Game Two with five RBI and three runs scored, including four doubles and a home run.
The Bombers fell behind, 3-0, after the first inning, but took the lead, 5-4, after the top of the seventh.
In the four-run seventh, Oathout drove in three runs on a bases-clearing double and Thompson pushed home Oathouht with a double.
Whittier sent the game into extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth on two Ithaca errors.
Oathout looked to end the contest with a home run in the 11th, but the Poets knotted the game up once again with a bases loaded fielder's choice.
Freshman
Adam Gallagher went 3-for-5 in with two runs scored.
Junior
Jean Germosen earned the start and went 4.2 innings. Germosen gave up four runs on seven hits before exiting for freshman
Josh Carney. Carney tossed 2.2 innings of relief and only allowed one hit.
Out of the bullpen next was senior
Ryan Contegni, who surrendered two runs (one earned) on two hits with four walks in three innings. The win went to junior
Logan Barer in 1.2 innings of work.
The Bombers head to Chapman University on Thursday for a 5 p.m. PST contest. Ithaca wraps up its spring trip at The University of the Redlands on Friday at 3 p.m. PST.
