ITHACA, N.Y. – The Bombers sent their seniors off in a great way on Senior Day, sweeping Elmira to move to 11-1 in Empire 8 play.
 
Ithaca extended its winning streak to 10 games, defeating the Soaring Eagles 8-0 in six innings in the first game, and 9-2 in the second.
 
The Bombers honored seniors Gabbie Litz and Jessie Fleck after both games, thanking both captains for their dedication to the program for the last four years.
 
Sophomore Vanessa Brown led the way for the Bomber offense, recording six hits and five RBI.
 
Game 1
Thanks to a six-spot in the bottom of the second inning, the Bombers clinched the first game of the doubleheader 8-0 in six innings.
 
After a leadoff walk in the top of the first inning, sophomore pitcher Haley Congdon retired the Elmira batters with two swinging strikeouts and a groundout.
 
Brown smoked a double to right center field with two down in the bottom of the first inning, but the Soaring Eagles forced classmate Alex Wright to foul out to end the frame.
 
Ithaca retired Elmira in order in the top of the second inning, keeping the game knotted at zero.
 
The Bombers broke through in the bottom of the second inning, scoring six runs on six hits to take a 6-0 lead. Freshman Shannon Grage kicked off the inning by reaching base on an error and advanced to third on sophomore Hannah Anderson's double to deep center field. Sophomore Annie Cooney stepped up to the plate next, singling through the left side to score Grage and give the Bombers a 1-0 lead.
 
Freshman Rebecca DiSerio kept the rally going, with a bloop single to right center field, scoring Anderson and Cooney, putting Ithaca up 3-0. Junior Allie Colleran got in the hit column, lacing a single to center field. Both DiSerio and Colleran advanced 60 feet on a wild pitch, putting two Bombers in scoring position for Brown. The sophomore doubled to deep left center field, scoring both runs and put Ithaca up 5-0. Wright pushed the Bombers' final run of the inning across, singling to right field, scoring Brown. Elmira retired Hannah Anderson on a fly ball to right to end the frame.
 
Ithaca held Elmira scoreless in the top of the third and Congdon struck out two more Soaring Eagles, pushing her total to five for the game.
 
After a one-out DiSerio walk in the bottom of the third inning, Elmira retired the next two Ithaca batters to keep the score at 6-0, Bombers.
 
Elmira got its second baserunner of the game in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-out walk to Emily Carlin, but the Bombers forced a fly out to right to end the frame.
 
Brown tripled with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Soaring Eagles retired the next two batters to end the frame with no damage done.
 
The Bombers forced Elmira to go three-and-out in the top of the fifth inning, including Congdon's seventh strikeout.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, DiSerio blasted a two-out solo home run over the center field fence to give Ithaca a 7-0 lead. The blast was the first of DiSerio's career as a Bomber.
 
Congdon gave up her first hit in 12.1 innings in the top of the sixth, allowing a one-out single up the middle by Maddy Johnson, but retired the next two Soaring Eagles to keep Ithaca's lead at 7-0.
 
Colleran and Bloom started the bottom of the sixth inning with back-to-back singles and Brown followed up with one of her own, scoring Colleran to secure the walk-off run-rule victory.
 
Brown led the way with four hits and three RBI, coming from two doubles and a triple. DiSerio also pitched in three RBI on two hits, including her home run. Congdon picked up the win, moving to 11-2 in the 2017 campaign. The sophomore finished with eight strikeouts and only one hit in the six innings.
 
Game 2
The Bombers tallied six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth inning to secure the sweep and hold onto first place in the Empire 8.
 
Freshman pitcher Emily Holden picked up two strikeouts in the top of the first inning, retiring Elmira in order to end the frame.
 
Ithaca tacked on a run in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead thanks to Brown's RBI-single. Colleran started the frame with a single up the middle and stole second during Fleck's at bat. Fleck looked to have a double during her at bat, but was called out at second on an interference call. With Colleran forced back to second on the call, Brown stepped up big at the plate, singling up the middle to score Colleran and give Ithaca the 1-0 lead. Elmira retired the final two Bombers to limit the damage to one run.
 
Three straight groundouts caused a three-and-out inning for Elmira in the top of the second inning, with the Bombers still ahead 1-0.
 
DiSerio recorded her second home run between the two games, this time blasting a two-run shot over the left field fence to give Ithaca a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Soaring Eagles forced a pop out and two fly outs to get out of the frame.
 
Holden struck out the side in the top of the third inning, bringing her total to five on the day.
The Bombers had two baserunners in the bottom of the third inning thanks to Wright's single and a dropped fly ball that allowed Anderson to reach, but Elmira got freshman Abby Shields to line out to end the threat.
 
For the fourth consecutive inning, the Bombers forced Elmira to go three-and-out, with Holden picking up two more strikeouts in the process.
 
Ithaca put up a six-spot in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking a 9-0 lead over the Soaring Eagles. DiSerio singled to shortstop to start the inning and advanced to third on Holden's double to left center field. Ellie Murray reached base on an Elmira error, loading them up for Colleran, who singled to center field to score DiSerio. With the bases still loaded after a fielder's choice, Brown singled to left field, scoring Murray to give Ithaca a 5-0 lead.
 
Wright came up to the plate next and singled through the right side, scoring Fleck and Colleran to bring Ithaca's lead to 7-0. Anderson popped up during the next at bat, but Shields came through with the two-out single to score both Brown and Wright to give the Bombers a 9-0 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, Emily Carlin led off the inning with a home run to right field, giving Elmira its first run of the day. During the next at bat, Sarah Garner reached on a fielding error and advanced to second on the throw. She advanced to third on a groundout and came around to score on Carolyn Corcoran's single to center field, bringing the score to 9-2, Ithaca.
 
Elmira forced Ithaca into a fly out and two groundouts to escape the bottom of the fifth for a three-and-out frame. Ithaca returned the favor in the top of the sixth, forcing two lineouts and a fly out to end the inning with no change in score.
 
Ithaca laced two line drives in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Soaring Eagles were able to snag them to force another three-up, three-down frame for the Bombers.
 
The Soaring Eagles garnered a baserunner in the top of the seventh inning, but a Murray turned a double play to end the frame and secure the 9-2 victory for the Bombers.
 
Colleran, Brown, Wright and DiSerio each finished with two hits, while Brown, Wright, DiSerio and Shields each picked up two RBI in the win. Holden won her ninth contest of the year, allowing four hits while striking out nine.
 
The Bombers are back in action for an their final Empire 8 doubleheader against Utica College. The games are slated for a 1 p.m. start. Follow along with live stats at athletics.ithaca.edu.