Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MINNEOLA, Fla. – The Ithaca College softball team dropped two games on Thursday evening. The Bombers fell to Lake Forest, 5-4, before concluding the day with a 5-3 loss to Mount Union. The Bombers are now 2-6 on the season heading into the final day of competition in Florida.
 
Game 1: Lake Forest 5, Ithaca 4
 
The Bombers started off strong in the top of the first inning but left two on base.
 
With two outs, senior Abby Shields singled to left field, followed by a Haley Gaffney single to left. She advanced to second on the throw and Shields headed to third, putting two runners in scoring position. A strikeout ended the inning, however, with both runners stranded.
 
It wasn't until the bottom of the second inning that Lake Forest put runs on the board, scoring four of its five runs.
 
Brie Gauthier led off the inning with a walk before Erin Karasewski reached base on an error. Both runners advanced a base on an Abby Ponder sacrifice bunt, putting two in scoring position.
 
Gauthier went on to score as Haylee Sherlund reached based on a short stop error, leaving runners on the corners for Lake Forest. Sydney Wyatt then doubled to left field, pushing Karasewski and Sherlund home.
 
The final run of the inning scored as Shaye Gauthier singled to center field, scoring Wyatt and putting Lake Forest up, 4-0.
 
The Bombers came back to post two runs in the top of the third innng.
 
With two outs, Shields drew a walk. Gaffney then tripled to right field to score Shields for IC's first run of the game. Gaffney scored on a Haley White double to left field, cutting Lake Forest's lead in half, 4-2.
 
After Lake Forest left the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning, IC added another run in the top of the fourth.
 
Daniella Mulvey reached on a fielder's choice play and moved to second as Julia Loffredo reached base on an error by the second baseman.
 
Laccona loaded the bases with a single through the left side before first-year Tava Kasper drew a walk to push Mulvey home, leaving IC trailing by just one run.
 
The Bombers tied things up, 4-4, in the top of the sixth inning, starting with a Laccona double to left field. She then advanced to third on a Shields' foul out to right field.
 
Gaffney drew a walk on the next at-bat and White reached on an error by third base, giving Laccona time to score the tying run. IC had the go-ahead run on base, but left three runners stranded.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Lake Forest scored what would be the game-winner.
 
With two outs, Wyatt singled through the right side and then scored on a Shayla Gauthier double to left field.
 
Gaffney went 2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI. Laccona finished 2-for-5 with a run scored.
 
Emily Holden took the loss in the circle, pitching 3.1 innings of relief in which she allowed two hits, one run and two walks while striking out three.
 
Game 2: Mount Union 5, Ithaca 3
 
Mount Union started off strong, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Maddie Pidgeon doubled to put herself in scoring position. Maggie Dominick followed that with another double, scoring Pidgeon and putting the Raiders up, 1-0.
 
The Bombers quickly tied things up and took the lead in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Laccona led off with a walk and then stole second to put herself in scoring position. Gaffney drilled a homer to also scoring Laccona and putting the Bombers up, 2-1.
 
The scoring continued in the top of the second inning, as the Raiders put up two more runs.
 
Payton Guspyt led off with a single before Alexis French reached on an error, giving Guspyt time to advance to third. Anna Saxton then drew a walk to load the bases for Mount Union.
 
Guspyt scored the first run of the inning as Savannah Miner reached first on an error by right field. Following two strikeouts, Pidgeon drew a walk, scoring French to put the Raiders up 3-2.
 
After several innings of scoreless play, Mount Union added another run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 advantage.
 
Grace Heath led off with a single and then stole second. Pidgeon then singled, driving in Heath for the Raiders.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, DiSerio cut Mount Union's lead down to just a single run again with her first homerun of the season.
 
The Raiders added a two-run cushion in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Heath reached base on an error by first base before advancing to third on a Pidgeon ground out. Dominick then sent a sacrifice fly out to center, scoring Heath and giving the Raiders the 5-3 win.
 
Gaffney went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored. White and DiSerio each finished 1-for-3 on the day.
 
Ithaca concludes its spring break trip on Saturday with a game against TCNJ.