ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team belted five homeruns and collected 23 combined hits in a pair of wins over University of Rochester of Wednesday at Doris Kostrinsky Field.  Ithaca, which had hit four homers in 14 games entering the doubleheader, moved to 11-5 with the wins, while the Yellowjackets end the day at 7-13.

Ithaca 7, Rochester 2

After falling behind 1-0 in the 3rd, Ithaca would launch back-to-back homeruns in the home half of the inning when Nikkey Skuraton and Vanessa Brown each launched solo shots to stake the Bombers to a 2-1 lead.

Rochester would even the score at 2-2 in the fourth inning, but the game wouldn't remain tied for long.  In the bottom of the frame, Hannah Anderson earned a lead-off walk and would come around to score after Emily Bloom blasted a two-run shot over the right-center field fence to give Ithaca a 4-2 lead before the Yellowjackets could get out of the inning.

The Bombers weren't done there, however, as Ithaca would score three more runs in the fifth on the strength of two more homers.  Brown led off the inning with a single before Kelly Robichaud drove her home with a two-run jack to make it 6-2 in Ithaca's favor.  The next batter, Casey Gavin, would follow suit, clubbing the team's fifth homerun of the game after belting a solo shot over the center field fence to give Ithaca a 7-2 win.

Laura Quicker moved to 6-2 with the win after delivering seven innings of work.  The senior pitcher allowed two runs (one earned) on just four hits.  She struck out six in the win.

In all, Ithaca collected 10 hits led by Brown who went 3-for-3 at the dish with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.  Bloom had two hits in three at-bats with two runs batted in and a run scored.

Ithaca 9, Rochester 1 – Five Innings

Tied at one run apiece through two innings of play, the Bombers would score twice in the bottom of the third on four hits including RBI knocks from Anderson and Gavin to make it 3-1, Ithaca.

Ithaca would blow things open in the fourth after plating four runs on four hits and a Yellowjackets' error to build a 7-1 lead.  Skuraton reached on an infield error to lead off the inning and would come around to score after Robichaud laced a run scoring double to center before being erased on a fielder's choice by Alex Wright.  After a single from Gavin, Anderson connected with a two-run double to make it a six-run affair before Bloom singled in a run to cap the inning.

After a scoreless top of the fifth, Ithaca put the game away with two more runs on four hits which included RBI-singles by Wright and Gavin to take the game, 9-1.

Allison Macari picked up the win and moved her season mark to 2-2 after tossing five innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out five.

Brown continued to see the ball well, going 3-for-4 at the plate while Gavin collected three hits in three plate appearances.  Anderson, Robichaud and Wright each had two hits.

Ithaca takes on Nazareth in its Empire 8 opener at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Pittsford.