TROY, N.Y. – The No. 23 Ithaca College softball team topped Rochester, 6-1, on Thursday afternoon in its first game of the 2018 Liberty League Tournament.
 
Although it was Rochester that put up the first run of the game, the Bombers used a strong fourth inning to take the lead. Ithaca moves on to play top-seeded RPI at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
 
In the top of the second inning, the Yellowjackets' Gianna Melillo led off with a single to left field. Jessica Conforti, who came in to pinch run for Melillo, advanced to second and third on two passed balls before being driven in by Jocelyn Blackshear to give Rochester a 1-0 edge.
 
The Bombers went on to tie things up in the bottom of the third inning.
 
Hannah Peters led off with a double to right field before advancing to third on an Ellie Murray ground out. Peters went on to score on an Allie Colleran sacrifice fly out to center field, tying the game up 1-1.
 
Ithaca secured three quick outs in the top of the fourth inning before gaining momentum in the bottom half of the inning.
 
With two outs, Hannah Anderson tripled to right center to set the Bombers up to score. Abby Shields followed that up by drawing a walk before Anderson scored on a Peters' single up the middle, giving IC the lead.
 
Ellie Murray then sent a single to right before and advanced to second on the throw, which allowed Shields to score and give IC a 3-1 lead and prompt a pitching change for the Yellowjackets.
 
Two more runs crossed the plate when Nikkey Skuraton singled, driving in Peters. Murray also went on to score on a short stop error, pushing IC's advantage to 5-1.
 
The final run of the inning and the game scored when Colleran reached base on a short stop error, which allowed Skuraton to head home.
 
Although Rochester put two runners on base throughout the rest of the game, both runners were stranded.
 
Peters finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored, one RBI and a double. Gabby Laccona, Alex Wright, Anderson and Murray all went 1-for-3 in the Bombers' win.
 
Junior Haley Congdon earned the win in the circle, pitching a one-hitter while striking out four Rochester batters, to improve to 9-2 on the season.
 
Ithaca is back in action tomorrow at 10 a.m. against RPI. The winner of the game will move on to Saturday's championship while the loser will play again at 3 p.m.