ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked Ithaca College softball team pushed its winning streak to seven games after holding on for a 5-4 win in the opening game of a doubleheader against the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons on Wednesday before falling in the night cap, 3-1.  With the split, No. 21 Ithaca, which appeared in the national polls for the first time this season, moves to 16-6 overall while Oneonta moves to 9-10 on the season.

ITHACA 5, ONEONTA 4

After a scoreless first inning of play, Ithaca put five runs on the board in the bottom of the second after sending eight hitters to the dish.  Singles by Kelly Robichaud and Casey Gavin followed by a walk by Hannah Anderson loaded the bases for the Bombers with just one out.  Emily Bloom would give the Bombers the lead after drawing a bases loaded walk to make it 1-0 before Allie Colleran boomed a grand slam over the left field fence to stake Ithaca to a 5-0 lead before the Red Dragons could escape the inning.

Oneonta got one back in the top of the fourth after a lead-off double came around to score and would make it a one-run game in the fifth after an error by the Bombers' infield allowed three unearned runs to cross the plate to make it 5-4.

Ithaca would recover, however, as Laura Quicker and freshman Haley Congdon held Oneonta off the board over the final two innings to earn the hard-fought win.

Quicker got the start for the Bombers and earned her eighth win of the season after tossing six innings.  She allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits and struck out four in the win.  Congdon notched her first save of her career after striking out a pair over one inning of work.

ONEONTA 3, ITHACA 1

The Bombers struggled to get anything going offensively as the Red Dragons held Ithaca to just four hits.  Colleran went 2-for-4 at the dish with a double while Gavin went 1-for-1 with a pair of walks.  Erin McQuillan had the Bombers' only RBI with a base knock in the sixth.

Ithaca fell behind 3-0 through six innings of play before tallying their only run of the game when McQuillan lifted a fly ball that dunked in front of the right fielder scoring Gavin who singled earlier in the frame.

Allison Macari was saddled with the loss after throwing a complete game.  The senior allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out five overall.

Ithaca will return to conference play at 3 p.m. on Friday when it hosts Houghton at Kostrinsky Field.