ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team squared off against the Elmira College Soaring Eagles in an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon and came away with a pair of victories, 7-4 and 8-3. The Bombers took both games and will play the third contest of the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Ithaca is now 14-5 overall and 8-1 in Empire 8 play.
 
GAME ONE -- Ithaca 7, Elmira 4 (9 innings)

In what was scheduled to be a seven-inning game went extra innings as the Bombers mounted a comeback victory.
 
Elmira was first to jump on the scoreboard in Game One of the doubleheader, as the Eagles scored three runs in the bottom half of the third inning on three hits and one error.
 
The Bombers would respond in the top of the fourth as seniors Adam Gallagher and Sam Little both walked with two outs in the inning, followed by a single from senior Garrett Snyder to score S. Little.
 
The Ithaca offense would then heat up in the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles from seniors Cam Fuoti and Matt Carey. A sacrifice bunt would move each runner up, and a two-run single from sophomore Garrett Callaghan scored both Fuoti and Carey, knotting the score at 3-3. With two outs in the inning, Gallagher hit a deep fly ball to left field, falling to the ground and Callaghan crossed the plate to give the Bombers a 4-3 lead going into the home half of the fifth.
 
An error in the fifth allowed the Eagles to tack on another run, tying the score at 4-4.
 
Elmira threatened to win the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning but were unable to push a run across, and the opener went to extra innings.
 
Elmira led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt and a fly ball, to move the lead-off hitter to third base with two outs, but once again, the Soaring Eagles were unsuccessful in pushing a run home.
 
Junior Buzz Shirley led off the ninth inning getting hit by a pitch. Fuoti reached base on a fielder's choice, and a double down the left field line by Carey put runners on second and third with only one out. Callaghan sent a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Fuoti to give the Bombers a 5-4 lead. The bats would stay hot in the inning, as senior Webb Little and Gallagher both singled, scoring Carey and Lynch to extend the Bomber lead, 7-4.
 
Senior Emmett Dunn started on the hill for the Bombers and went 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits and three earned runs, with five strikeouts. Senior Matt Eiel entered the game in relief, throwing 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and no earned runs for the victory.
 
GAME TWO – Ithaca 8, Elmira 3 (7 innings)
 
The Bombers loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning when Elmira walked in a run, followed by a passed ball and another walk, allowing two more to score. Heading into the bottom of the second, Ithaca held a 3-0 lead.
 
The score would remain 3-0 until the top of the seventh when the Bombers broke out the bats, posting a five-run inning on three hits. The inning was started by Gallagher, who hit a towering home run down the left field line, followed up by four more runs to break the game open.
 
Elmira came to bat in the last half inning, trailing 8-0 and began the inning with a lead-off walk. The Soaring Eagles strung together a few hits and found themselves trailing 8-3 after a two-RBI single with no outs.
 
W. Little would enter the game in relief of junior Charlie Hammel and shut the door with a game-ending double play to give the Bombers an 8-3 victory and improve to 8-1 in conference play.
 
Junior Tom Cosentino went 6.0 innings and allowed no runs on seven hits, striking out three, for the win in the second end of the twin bill.  
 
Lynch, Carey, and Fuoti all had two-hit games in the victory, while Webb Little recorded two RBIs.
 
The Bombers are scheduled to take on Elmira in the third game of the three-game series tomorrow at Dunn Field at 1 p.m.