ITHACA, N.Y. – Ithaca faced cross-town rival Cornell for the first time since the 2013 season today, splitting the non-conference, non-divisional twin bill.
 
The Bombers dropped the first game in a tough pitching battle, losing 2-0 to the Big Red, but came back in the second game, winning the game 2-1.
 
The last time the Bombers took a game from the Big Red was in 2012, when Ithaca won 4-3 at Kostrinsky Field.
 
Sophomore Alex Wright led the way for the Bombers, recording two hits, including a two-run shot over the right field fence to secure the victory in the second game.  
 
Game 1
The first game was a pitching duel between Ithaca's Haley Congdon and Cornell's Katie Lew, but the Big Red pushed two runs across in the top of the sixth to secure the 2-0 victory.
 
The Bombers issued a two-out walk to Bridgette Rooney in the top of the first frame, but sophomore Congdon forced the final out with a fly out to left center field to keep a zero on the board for Cornell.
 
The Big Red retired Ithaca in order in the bottom of the first inning, recording a line out and two groundouts.
 
The second frame saw no baserunners for either squad, with Congdon picking up her first strikeout of the day.
 
Cornell opened the top of the third inning with its first hit of the day, a bloop single to center field by Erin Rockstroh. The freshman stole second during Ivey Wagner's at bat and advanced 60 more feet on Jessica Bigbie's groundout. Ithaca forced Cornell to strand her on third though with a foul out caught by sophomore Alex Wright.
 
The Bombers were once again sat down in order in the bottom of the third frame, with Cornell forcing two groundouts and a strikeout to keep the game knotted at zero.
 
The Big Red once again got a runner on base in the top of the first after a two-out walk to Tori Togashi, but Congdon forced a pop up during the next at bat that sophomore Nikkey Skuraton handled at second with ease.  
 
Junior Allie Colleran broke up Katie Lew's perfect game in the bottom of the fourth inning, singling to left field to kick off the frame. Colleran advanced on senior Jessie Fleck's sacrifice bunt, but was stuck on second after a foul out and groundout.
 
Ithaca's defense stepped up big in the top of the fifth inning, including a backward catch by Skuraton in shallow right field to notch the second out of the frame. Congdon retired the final batter of the inning with her fourth strikeout.
 
Sophomore Annie Cooney tried to start a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth, singling to center field, but was thrown out attempting to steal second, ending the frame.
 
The Big Red kicked off the top of the sixth inning with back-to-back doubles by Bigbie and Megan Murray, scoring their first run of the game to take a 1-0 lead. The Bombers retired the next two batters, but Togashi singled to center with two down, scoring Murray to give Cornell a 2-0 lead. Congdon struck out the final batter of the inning to limit any more damage, bringing her total to six on the day.
 
Freshman Frankie-Ann McCauley doubled to shallow right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth and then advanced to third on Colleran's one-out groundout. Freshman Abby Shields came in as a pinch hitter with two down and hit a hard groundball to the pitcher, but Lew handled it to end the Ithaca threat.
 
Cornell led off the top of the seventh inning with a single to second base and was issued a two-out walk, but the Bomber defense kept their deficit at two by forcing a fielder's choice, groundout and pop out.
 
With their backs against the wall, Wright recorded a one-out infield single and advanced to third after a fielding error allowed freshman Shannon Grage to reach base. With runners on the corners and one out, Lew struck out back-to-back Bombers to end the game.
 
Congdon went the distance for Ithaca, allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out six. Colleran, Wright, Cooney and McCauley each pitched in a hit for the Bombers.
 
Game 2
Ithaca recorded only two hits in the second game, but those two were enough to secure a 2-1 victory over Division I Cornell.
 
The Bomber defense made two tremendous plays in the top of the first inning to keep Cornell scoreless. Sophomore Hannah Anderson made a diving stop at shortstop to get the Big Red's lead runner and freshman pitcher Shannon Grage picked up what would have been a single up the middle and threw out Madeline Avery at first to end the frame.
 
Ithaca recorded some good contact in the bottom of the first, but the Red Big outfielders were in the right place at the right time, retiring the Bombers in order.
 
Grage threw three pitches in the top of the second inning, with all three Cornell batters grounding out to Anderson at shortstop. The Big Red returned the favor in the bottom of the second frame, sitting the Bombers down in order with two deep fly outs and a pop out.
 
The third inning saw no baserunners for either team, with Grage and the Ithaca defense worked quickly in the top of the third inning, throwing 10 pitches, including her first strikeout of the day. Cornell forced a fly out, groundout and foul out to retire Ithaca in order in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Cornell threatened in the top of the fourth, but two great defensive plays by Skuraton ended the inning with a runner stranded on third. Megan Murray led off the inning with a hit by pitch and made her way to third on a sacrifice bunt and strikeout, but Togashi grounded out to Skuraton to end the frame.
 
With two down in bottom of the fourth, sophomore Vanessa Brown reached first after a Cornell fielding error. Wright came up to the plate and blasted a two-run shot over the right field fence, giving Ithaca the 2-0 lead.
 
A two-out single by Rockstroh broke up Grage's no-hitter in the top of the fifth inning, but Ithaca retired the next batter with a groundout to Brown to the end the frame.
 
Two fly outs and a foul out sat the Bombers down in order in the bottom of the fifth frame, but Ithaca still held a 2-0 lead over Cornell.
 
Cornell got its leadoff runner on base in the top of the sixth thanks to an Ithaca error, but Grage, Anderson and Wright turned a double play to clear the bases. Bridgette Rooney stepped up to the plate next, sending the ball over the left center fence, to bring Cornell to within one at 2-1. Avery followed that up with a double of her own, but Ithaca forced a groundout to end the frame.
 
Sophomore Ellie Murray led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a hard hit single up the middle and advanced to second on Colleran's sacrifice bunt. The Big Red retired the next two batters with strikeouts though, to keep Murray stranded at second.
 
Olivia Lam kicked off the top of the seventh inning with a hard hit single through the left side to give Cornell the tying run on base. Zoe Hernandez walked to follow up the Lam single, but Grage came back firing, striking out the next two batters and forcing a fielder's choice to secure the win.
 
Wright and Murray recorded the only two hits for the Bombers, but it was enough with Wright's two RBI. Grage went all seven innings, allowing five hits and one run, while striking out four.
 
The Bombers are back in action tomorrow when they face RPI and Union in Schenectady, N.Y. for a 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. game, respectively. Live stats will be available at athletics.ithaca.edu.