ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team earned its first Liberty League victories of the season with 8-0 and 6-5 wins over RIT at Kostinsky Field on Saturday. IC is now 4-0 on the year

GAME ONE: ITHACA 8, RIT 0 (5 innings)

IC opened up Liberty League action with a convincing 8-0 win in five innings over RIT in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
 
The hot-hitting Bombers got off to a quick start in the home half of the first inning. Senior Gabby Laccona busted things open by earning a lead-off walk and then advancing herself to second on a stolen base. Two batters later, junior Julia Loffredo drove in Laccona on a fielder's choice to register the first run of the ball game. Following that was an infield RBI single by graduate student Haley White and a Haley Gaffney RBI single to left field to extend IC's lead to 3-0.
 
The Bombers continued to roll in the third inning, as Gaffney blasted a double to the warning track to lead off the frame. On the ensuing at-bat, junior Daniella Mulvey ripped a single to center field to drive in the fourth run of the contest. Ithaca was not done there, however, as Laccona drilled an RBI double four batters later and sophomore Allison Dell'Orto reached base on a throwing error, bringing in two more runners to cap off an enticing four-run inning.
 
Ithaca put the nail in the coffin in the bottom half of the fifth inning. After sophomore Kailey Collins and graduate student Frankie-Ann McCauley hit back-to-back singles to kick things off, Laccona put the game to an end by launching a sac-fly to center field, scoring Collins to stake the Bombers to a commanding 8-0 lead, and eventual win.
 
Senior pitcher Beth Fleming picked up from where she left off on Wednesday, claiming her second win of the season through 5.0 innings in the circle. The Connecticut native racked up seven strikeouts and only yielded five hits and one walk in the complete game. 
 
Gaffney went 2-for-3 at the dish with an RBI, while Laccona was 2-for-2 in the contest.

GAME TWO: ITHACA 6 RIT 5
 
The second game of the doubleheader ended in a 6-5 win for the Bombers on a walk-off base hit by Collins.
 
The Bombers got off to a slow start offensively with no runs scored until the bottom of the fifth inning, but showed their grit by making great defensive plays the entire game.
 
In the top of fifth inning, White made two great defensive plays with Gaffney on the receiving end of both for the putouts, which resulted in the last two outs of the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bombers started rolling. Laccona scored the first run followed by White hitting one to left field that brought Loffredo to home plate. RIT then fought back, and by the end of the top of the 7^th inning, the Tigers led 5-3.
 
In the top of the sixth, sophomore catcher Kira Flegenheimer made an incredible diving catch on a sac bunt attempt to add to the Bombers momentum.
 
The bottom of the seventh inning, the Bombers turn it up offensively. White drove in Dell'Orto with a base hit to left. Loffredo then scored on a Gaffney RBI fielder's choice to tie it up (5-5). Collins roped a line drive to left-center field to bring White to home, scoring the final run of the game.
 
Sophomore pitcher Riley Piromalli racked up three strikeouts in the circle over six innings for the win.

Tomorrow's doubleheader at RIT has been postponed due to persistent rain in the forecast. The Bombers will be back at home on March 31 against St. John Fisher College.