ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team held off Penn State-Berks on Saturday afternoon to advance to Sunday's regional final. IC topped the Nittany Lions, 3-2, and will face Brandeis in tomorrow's championship.
 
After two innings of scoreless play, the Bombers struck first, posting two runs in the top of the third inning.
 
Kira Flegenheimer led off with a walk and advanced to second on an Annie Cooney sacrifice bunt. Vanessa Brown followed that up with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners for Ithaca. Brown then stole second to put two runners in scoring position.
 
The first run crossed the plate when Nikkey Skuraton laid down a bunt which advanced all runners, allowing Flegenheimer to score. With one out, Wright grounded out, giving Brown time to score. Skuraton looked to score a third run for the Bombers, but was thrown out at home.
 
It was not until the bottom of the sixth inning that Penn State scored the equalizers.
 
Hunter Hart reached on an error to get things going before Maddy Davidson singled up the middle.
 
After a pitching change for the Bombers, Brianna Smith doubled down the left field line to score Hart. On the next play, a Sophia Cinti fielder's choice play brought in Davidson to tie things up, 2-2.
 
Ithaca's defense forced two fielder's choice plays and a line out to end the inning and leave two Penn State-Berks runners stranded.
 
In the top of the seventh inning, the Bombers broke the tie en route to the eventualy win.
 
Haley White singled to the shortstop to get things going for IC. Cooney then doubled to center field to score White for the go-ahead run.
 
Although the Nittany Lions had a runner after Hart singled to shortstop, she was left stranded, ending the game.
 
Anderson finished 2-for-3 on the day while Cooney went 1-for-1 with one RBI. Emily Holden earned the win in the circle pitching two innings of relief. She allowed no runs and struck out two batters.