PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball program suffered two one-run Empire 8 Conference losses, 4-3 and 5-4, at St. John Fisher College's Dugan Yard on Saturday afternoon. Ithaca is now 9-9 on the season and 2-4 in the Empire 8, while Fisher is 12-7 and 5-1 in conference action.

GAME ONE: Fisher 4, Ithaca 3

Ithaca struck first in the opener as junior Cam Fuoti ripped a two-out single through the left side to plate fellow junior Matt Carey from second base in the top of the second inning. Carey found his way on second with a two-base error in the prior at bat.

The Bombers cashed in on another two-out opportunity in the top of the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Junior Andrew Bailey started the rally with a bloop single to center and then junior Sam Little followed with a base hit. Junior Adam Gallagher then drove in both runners with a double to right-centerfield to give IC the three-run lead.

Fisher got in the board in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run double with one out to close Ithaca's lead to 3-2. After an unsuccessful squeeze attempt retired the second out of the inning, the Cardinals tied the contest at 3-3 on a simultaneous walk and wild pitch.

The Cardinals jumped ahead, 4-3, in the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off home run to left field off of senior Tyler Hill on just the second pitch of the inning, which proved to be the game-winning hit.

Hill entered the game for senior Jack Morello, who tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts.

Bailey paced Ithaca's offense with a 3-for-3 opener with two doubles and a run scored, while Fuoti was 2-for-3.

GAME TWO: Fisher 5, Ithaca 4

Similar to the opener, Ithaca jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the top of the fifth inning, but Fisher went ahead in the bottom half of the fifth inning with four runs. The Bombers knotted things up at 4-4 in the top of the sixth, but once again, the Cardinals answered in the bottom half with the eventual game-winning run.

In the third inning, Carey and Boresta drew walks in the first two plate appearances. W. Little then singled to load the bases with no outs, and Bailey and S. Little followed with fielder's choices to push home Carey and Boresta to build a 2-0 lead.

The Bombers added another run in the fifth as Carey scored from second on a double by W. Little.

Fisher responded by loaded the bases with three straight singles in the bottom of the fifth to fill the bases. Two runs would come home on a double with two outs, and then the Cardinals took the lead in the next at bat on an Ithaca throwing error that allowed two more runs to score.

IC tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth on an error that allowed Gallagher to score from third. Gallagher led off with a hit by pitch and moved up to third on a double by junior Jake Generali.

The Cardinals plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch with two outs. A lead-off double scooted home after advancing a base on a groundout.

Junior Jake Binder took the loss in 5.2 innings of work. Binder allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Classmate Matt Eiel tossed the final 2.1 innings in relief and gave up two hits.

W. Little notched three hits in the nightcap, while freshman Garrett Callaghan went 2-for-4.

The Bombers are back in action on Tuesday, April 3 against the University of Rochester at 4 p.m. at Freeman Field.