ITHACA, N.Y. – The Bombers fought hard to force a Game 7 with St. John Fisher, but the Cardinals came out victorious in the Empire 8 Championship, defeating Ithaca 2-1.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Bombers won the first game against St. John Fisher, 2-0, to force a game 7 for the Empire 8 Championship.
 
Both teams put up a great fight in the second game of the day for the winner-take-all Championship Game, but a late run in the top of the seventh by St. John Fisher gave the Cardinals the 2-1 victory. The title is St. John Fisher's fifth overall and first since the 2013 season.
 
The Bombers will await the NCAA selection show that takes place tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. to see where they fall in the regional bracket.     
 
Game 1
The first game was a pitching duel between sophomore pitcher Haley Congdon and Lindsey Thayer, but the Bombers broke through in the sixth inning, scoring the game's only two runs. Congdon threw a one-hitter in the game, with the first hit coming from a Julia Sortisio single to shallow left field.
 
Sophomore Vanessa Brown carried over her hot hitting from the last game, beating out an infield single to third to kick off the game. She advanced to second after senior Jessie Fleck's sacrifice bunt, but Thayer struck out the next two batters to leave Brown stranded.
 
St. John Fisher got two of its first three players on base in the bottom of the first thanks to two walks, but the Bomber defense and Congdon came back firing, recording a fielder's choice and strikeout to leave them stranded.
 
The Cardinals struck out the side in the top of the second inning, keeping the score knotted at zero. The Bombers returned the favor in the latter half of the frame, with Congdon striking out two and forcing a pop out.
 
Sophomore Nikkey Skuraton singled into the 5-6 hole with one out in the inning, but St. John Fisher's Sarah Kubik made an unassisted double play at first to end the threat.
 
Ithaca retired St. John Fisher in order in the bottom of the third inning on a pop out, groundout and fly out, but the Cardinals returned the favor in the top of the fourth forcing a line out and two strikeouts.
 
Ithaca issued a leadoff walk to Ashley Prince in the bottom of the fourth inning, but after a batter's interference call, a fielder's choice and fly out, the frame ended with one stranded for the Cardinals.
 
Thayer struck out the side again in the top of the fifth inning after a brief rain delay, bringing her total to 10 on the day. The game remained knotted 0-0 going into the bottom of the frame.
 
Danielle Ventrone led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk, then advanced to second on Emma Savas' sacrifice bunt. The Bombers got the second out of the inning thanks to a pop out. Sortisio came up to the plate in the next at bat, breaking up Congdon's no-hit bid with a single to shallow left field. St. John Fisher sent Ventrone from second, but a great throw by Fleck to catcher Hannah Peters' cut the run down at the plate to keep the game at 0-0.
 
The Bombers broke through in the top sixth inning after freshman Abby Shields' ground-rule double scored Brown from second. Brown got with a two-out walk and advanced to second on Fleck's infield single to second base. Shields then blasted a ball to deep center field, recording her first hit of the day and scoring Brown. During the next at bat, Fleck scored on a wild pitch to give Ithaca the 2-0 lead.
 
After the Bombers forced a lead off groundout, St. John Fisher put its next two batters on base thanks to a walk and a hit by pitch. Prince advanced to third after tagging up on Karlie Neale's deep fly ball to center field. With runners on the corners and two outs, Congdon came up with a huge swinging strikeout to end the threat.
 
Cooney walked with one out in the top of the seventh inning, but St. John Fisher recorded an out on Peters' sacrifice bunt and strikeout to leave her stranded at second.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Congdon recorded back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out to secure the 2-0 victory.
 
Game 2
The game was knotted at 1-1 going into the top of the seventh inning, but Mazierski singled to score Savas to give the Cardinals the 2-1 victory.
 
Congdon allowed a two-out walk in the top of the first inning, but forced the third groundout of the inning to leave the Cardinal stranded.
 
The Bomber gets on the board in the top of the first inning, taking the early lead in the Championship Game. Brown kicked off the frame with a single through the left side and was followed by what looked like a sacrifice bunt from Fleck. The senior laid down a bunt that was picked up by the third baseman, but she overthrew first and Fleck ended up on third, scoring Brown to give Ithaca a 1-0 lead.
 
Genevieve Paeglow singled with one out in the top of the second inning, but Congdon forced her first strikeout of the game and a line out to end the frame.
 
St. John Fisher retired the Bombers in order in the bottom of the second inning, including Thayer's fourth and fifth strikeouts of the game.
 
The Cardinals had an opportunity score in the top of the third, but Congdon got their home run leader swinging to get out of a runners of the corners jam. Sortisio doubled down the left field line with one out, then advanced to third on Katie Mazierski's groundout. The Bombers then walked Prince to put runners on the corners, but Congdon came through with the strikeout of Kubik to end the threat.
 
Fleck attempted to start a two-out rally in the bottom of the third, singling to the pitcher, but Thayer fired back with a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Fisher tied the game in the top of the fourth inning after a single through the left side by Balsano. The inning started with a single up the middle by Neale; she then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Neale was pinch ran for when she reached second and her runner, Piparo advanced to third on an infield single by Savas. Piparo came around to score during the next at bat, Balsano's single through the left side, tying the game 1-1.
 
Wright singled to shortstop to kick off the bottom of the fourth frame and advanced to third after another throwing error on Anderson's bunt. With runners on second and third, Thayer shut down the Bomber bats with three straight strikeouts.
 
Two groundouts and a fly out forced Fisher out the top of the fifth with no damage done and the score still tied at 1-1.
 
Brown beat out a single to shortstop with one down in bottom of the fifth inning, but she was caught stealing to end the frame after Fleck's fly out.
 
The Cardinals were retired in order in the top of the sixth thanks to a line out, foul out and pop out by the Bomber defense to keep the game knotted at 1-1.
 
Once again the Bombers left a runner stranded after Wright battled for a 10-pitch at bat. St. John Fisher forced Anderson to strikeout and Cooney was called out for interference after she was hit with her bunt outside of the box to leave her at first.
 
The Bombers walked Fisher's leadoff batter on four pitches and she was able to advance third after a wild pitch and fly out by Balsano. Congdon came back firing, striking out Sortisio on a full count to get the second out of the frame. Mazierski notched an infield single during the next at bat, beating it out in a foot race to score Savas from third and give Fisher the late 2-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Thayer picked up her 12th and 13th strikeouts, securing the victory for the Cardinals.