CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Ithaca College baseball team mounted a late comeback with four runs in the ninth inning to take a two-run lead, but Pomona-Pitzer answered with three runs in the bottom half to walk-off with a 7-6 win on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field in Ithaca's opening game of its spring trip. With the loss, the Bombers are now 3-3 on the season, while Pomona-Pitzer improves to 13-4.
Ithaca fell behind, 2-0, after the bottom of the first inning as Pomona-Pitzer clubbed a two-out, two-run home run off junior
Jake Binder. The Sagehens extended their lead to 4-0 in the third inning as two runs scored on a throwing error after a single and double put both runners in scoring position.
The Bombers got two runs back in the top of the sixth inning as juniors
Cam Fuoti and
Webb Little smacked solo homers. Fuoti belted his shot to center field with one out and then W. Little stepped to the plate with two gone and launched a towering blast over the right field fence.
In the top of the ninth inning, W. Little reached on an error to lead things off. Juniors
Sam Little,
Andrew Bailey and
Adam Gallagher followed with three straight singles to plate a pair of runs. Junior
John Peterson then beat out a bunt to load the bases, and fellow junior
Jake Generali brought in two more runs on infield error to give the Bombers a 6-4 lead.
Pomona-Pitzer won the contest in the bottom of the ninth as the Sagehens quickly loaded the bases with a single, double and walk. After senior
Robby Buffis struck the next batter out, a Sagehen roped a two-run double down the left field line to tie the game at 6-6. Pomona-Pitzer drew another base on balls to once again load the bases, and a single up to center capped off the rally.
Ithaca collected nine hits in the loss. Senior
Domenic Boresta led the way with two hits, including a double, while seven other Bombers recorded one hit. To go along with the home run, Fuoti also walked and stole a base.
Binder threw six innings in a no decision and allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with two strikeouts. Buffis took the loss in 2.1 innings of relief as he surrendered three runs on five hits and four walks.
The Bombers will look to get back on track tomorrow as they play Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 1 p.m. (PST).
