ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked Ithaca College softball team punched its ticket to Super Regionals on Sunday after senior Casey Gavin, who was named the regional's Most Outstanding Player, drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the No. 16 Bombers overcame a late-inning deficit to defeat nationally-ranked Moravian College, 3-2, for the second time in as many days at Doris Kostrinsky Field.  With the win, Ithaca, which won its regional championship for the first time since 2010, moved to 35-8 on the season while the Greyhounds had their season end at 37-6. 

Ithaca will now host the Super Regional best-of-three series beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday where it will face Rowan University which won the Cortland region on Sunday.

The Bombers scored the contest's first run in the second inning by virtue of a sacrifice fly off the bat of Vanessa Brown, which plated Erin McQuillan who had led off the inning with a double to center.

The lead would be short-lived, however, as Moravian knotted things up in the top of the fourth when a leadoff walk came around to score on an RBI-single down the leftfield line to make it 1-1.

After a pair of scoreless innings, Moravian would take a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning on two hits including an RBI-single up the middle that scored a runner from second base to give the visiting Greyhounds the one-run advantage heading into the home half of the inning.

The Bombers failed to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth, but were able to escape any further damage in the top of the seventh after a hit-by-pitch followed by a single to center afforded the Greyhounds an opportunity to extend their lead.  With two on and two out, Allison Macari delivered an off speed pitch for strike three to keep the Bombers within one heading into the bottom of the seventh.

In the seventh, Nikkey Skuraton led off with a walk and would come around to score on a wild play as the Greyhounds mishandled a bunt attempt off Gavin's bat, which allowed the freshman infielder to advance all the way to third base on the play.  Gavin, who reached first base on the throwing error, then tried to advance to second but was thrown out on the play.  At the same time, Skuraton, who led the Empire 8 stolen bases this season, broke for home and beat the throw to give the Bombers new life with the score tied at 2-2.  The next hitter, Kelly Robichaud, drove one deep to left-center for a single, but Ithaca would be unable to push the winning run across in the seventh as the Regional champion would be decided in extra innings.
Macari was nothing short of brilliant in the eighth and ninth innings as the senior pitcher did not allow a hit and induced three groundouts to shortstop Hannah Anderson to keep her team's hopes alive.

Heading into the home half of the ninth with the score still tied at 2-2, Brown led off with a single up the middle and moved into scoring position after Skuraton moved her over with a groundout to the right side.  In stepped Gavin with one out and Brown on second with a chance to win it for the Bombers.  The senior worked the count until she got her pitch which she lined into centerfield, scoring Brown in the process to lift Ithaca to the 3-2 walk-off win.

Macari, who was named to the regional all-tournament team, earned the hard-fought win and moved to 15-3 on the season after she threw five innings and allowed one run on four hits.  Laura Quicker started the game for Ithaca but did not factor in the decision.  Quicker went four innings and gave up one run on three hits.

Ithaca pounded out nine hits in the win led by Gavin, Robichaud and McQuillan who each produced two hits.  McQuillan had two doubles out of the seventh spot in the lineup and was named to the all-tournament team.  Brown was also named to the all-tournament team after adding a hit, one RBI and a run scored in the deciding game.