CANTON, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team totaled 20 runs in an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader sweep of SUNY Canton on Friday afternoon. Ithaca took the opener, 9-2, and completed the sweep with an 11-5 decision in the nightcap to run its winning streak to five straight to improve to 15-8 on the season and 7-3 in the conference.

GAME ONE: Ithaca 9, Canton 2

Sophomore Jake Binder was at his best in the opener, as he tossed a complete game four hitter with eight strikeout. Binder, now 5-0 on the season, walked just one batter and was credited with one earned run in his second complete game outing of the season.

The Bombers opened up a four-run lead after the top of the first inning and never looked back. After an out was retired, sophomore Webb Little singled and stole second to start the rally. Two of the next three batters drew walks to load the bases and then sophomore Andrew Bailey brought in W. Little with a single for the first run of the contest. Another base hit from classmate Andrew Gallagher drove in sophomore Sam Little and senior Ryan Henchey, and the frame was capped with a double off the bat of junior Domenic Boresta, which scored Bailey.

Canton got a run back in each of its first two at bats, but Ithaca answered in the top of the third to make the score 5-2. Boresta ripped a two-out triple to the gap and scored on a base hit from sophomore Matt Carey one batter later.

Three runs would cross the plate for the Bombers in the fourth inning as four straight singles brought in two runs, and the final tally came on a sacrifice fly. W. Little and senior Trevor Thompson started things off with base hits and then S. Little followed with another base knock for an RBI. Henchey then drove in Thompson and Gallagher lifted the sac fly to right to allow S. Little to scamper home.

Ithaca's final run of the opener scored in the seventh inning on sac fly from Carey with Gallagher on third base.

Boresta went 3-for-4 in Game One with a run and RBI on two doubles and a triple, while W. Little was also 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and a stolen base. Gallagher drove in three runs in two at bats, and Carey notched two RBI.

GAME TWO: Ithaca 11, Canton 5

After scoring a run in the first inning on a sac fly from S. Little to drive in senior Josh Savacool, the Bombers found themselves down by a 4-1 count after four innings.

Ithaca answered, however, in the fifth with six runs on three hits. Thompson and S. Little stroked back-to-back solo home runs to get things going, and after the second out was record, an error prolonged the inning. The Bombers then drew three consecutive walks to bring home another run to tie the game at 4-4. Savacool then cleared the bases with a three-run double to give the Bombers a 7-4 lead. Carey, Boresta and sophomore Jake Generali scored on the double.

Canton got to within a 7-5 difference after the seventh inning, but Ithaca closed out the nightcap with four runs in the top of the ninth. After two outs were recorded, W. Little brought home two runs on a base hit as Carey and sophomore John Peterson crossed the plate. Thompson and Henchey followed with RBI base hits to send Ithaca to the sweep.

Bailey started Game Two but did not factor into the decision, as he went four innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. Junior Chris Marinaccio picked up the win in 3.1 innings of relief with four strikeouts and one run surrendered. W. Little secured his third save of the season in 1.2 innings of work.

The Bombers and Kangaroos close out their three-game series tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.