ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team swept Utica College on Wednesday at Kostrinsky Field. The pair of wins improve the Bombers' record to 9-3 while Utica falls to 5-9 on the season.
 
The Bombers won the first game in exciting fashion, winning in walk-off fashion in the eighth inning before coming out to win the second game in just five innings.
 
Game 1 | IC 5, Utica 4
 
In the first game of the doubleheader, it was the Pioneers who got on the board first, in the top of the second inning. Madison judge sent a single to right to score Sabrina Stransky for the first run of the game.
 
The Bombers wasted no time in tying things up in the bottom half of the inning. Frankie-Ann McCauley sent a shot to right field which scored Alex Wright and pulled IC even with Utica.
 
Utica proved offensively productive in the top of the third inning, starting with a Nicole Rice walk to put a runner on. Jamie Miller followed that up with a single to third before Stransky sent a homer over the fence in center, scoring three more runs for the Pioneers and putting them up 4-1.
 
In the bottom of the third, Vanessa Brown led off with a single to short before stealing second to put herself in scoring position. She moved forward on a Wright hit before scoring on an Allie Colleran shot to left, cutting Utica's lead to 4-2.
 
The Bombers tied things up, 4-4, in the bottom of the seventh inning which eventually forced an extra inning.
 
McCauley started things off with a single to center before Brown sent a shot over the left field fence, and keep IC alive.
 
The Bombers defense held strong in the top of the eighth inning, forcing two ground outs and a pop up to center.
 
Ithaca's rally in the top of the eighth started with a Gabby Laccona single to short stop. Laccona advanced on a Hannah Peters' sacrifice bunt before McCauley drilled a hit to right center, bringing in Laccona and ending the game.
 
McCauley went 3-for-4 with two RBI while Brown went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
 
Game 2 | IC 9, Utica 1 (5 innings)
 
Like the first game, Utica put itself on the board first in the second game of the day.
 
Judge drilled a two-out homer to left center to score the Pioneers lone run of the game.
 
Ithaca tied things up quickly once again in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Anderson drew a walk before stealing second to put herself in scoring position. Abby Shields sent a single to short and advanced on the throw, which brought Anderson in to tie things up, 1-1.
 
The Bombers had a big inning in the bottom of the third, scoring three more runs.
 
Nikkey Skuraton drew a walk before advancing on an Anderson single to center. Shields drove in Skuraton, to give IC the lead, with a double to right field.
 
With two runners in scoring position, Colleran drew a walk and, on a passed ball, Anderson scored to give IC a 3-1 lead.
 
The final run of the inning came on a Peters' sacrifice fly out to right field which scored Shields.
 
Ithaca had another productive inning in the bottom of the fourth, producing four runs to go up 8-1 over the Pioneers.
 
Annie Cooney started things off for the Bombers with a single to short before advancing to second on a passed ball. Brown then brought Cooney home with a single to center field.
 
Skuraton sent a shot to center field for a double, which brought in Brown to give IC a 6-1 lead and force Utica to change pitchers for the second time.
 
Following the pitching switch, Anderson singled to short to bring in Skuraton.
 
Shields, once again, at a solid at-bat, drilling a single to right field to bring in Anderson for the final run of the inning and give the Bombers an 8-1 advantage.
 
The Bombers final run of the game, in the bottom of the fifth inning, started off with a Wright walk.
 
Wright moved forward on a Laccona sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a passed ball.
 
Brown racked up her second RBI of the game with a single to right which brought in Wright and ended the game.
 
Shields finished the game going 3-for-3 with three RBI while Anderson finished 2-for-2 with one RBI and three runs scored. Brown went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
 
The Bombers are back in action on Friday afternoon at St. John Fisher. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
 
Ithaca will be home again next Tuesday, April 3 when the team hosts Alfred for a doubleheader.