ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team posted 14-3 and 5-4 victories over Clarkson University in a Liberty League doubleheader sweep at Freeman Field on Friday afternoon. Ithaca is now 12-6 overall and 7-1 in the Liberty League.
GAME ONE: Ithaca 14, Clarkson 3
Clarkson got on the board first in Game One with a two-out, two-run double to right field to make the score 2-0 in the top of the third inning. The Golden Knights strung together three straight hits, a single and back-to-back doubles, after two outs were recorded to build the early lead.
IC responded with three runs in the bottom half of the third to take a 3-2 advantage. The first run scored on a bases loaded hit by pitch to
Buzz Shirley, bringing in
Mike Nauta, and then
Gil Merod drove home a pair –
Jack Lynch and
Garrett Callaghan – with a single to centerfield.
The Bombers extended their lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homerun to left-center by
Louis Fabbo with Nauta on base. Nauta kept Clarkson's defense uneasy during the at bat after reaching on a single, drawing multiple throws over to first base, and then stole second and third.
Merod picked up his third RBI of the game with a single up the middle with no outs and runners on the corners in the fifth to make the score 6-2. Callaghan scored on the base hit after reaching on a walk and moving up to third on a hit-and-run single from
Buzz Shirley. A few batters later,
Matt Smith drove home Shirley with a sacrifice fly to right to increase IC's lead to five runs.
Clarkson managed to push a run across in the top of the sixth on a groundout to second after a pair of hits placed two runners in scoring position.
IC put the game away in the bottom of the sixth as Shirley stroked a three-run homer to right, increasing the Bombers' lead to 10-3. Fabbo, who singled, and
Ethan McDonough (pinch runner) were on base. The Bombers added another run on a ringing double to the left-centerfield fence by Alex Baker-Hook, which drove in
Matt Fabian all the way from first base.
In the next three at bats, Smith stroked an RBI double to right-center to plate Barker-Hook and then Nauta doubled down the left field line to bring in Smith. Fabbo then dropped in a double to right with a ball lost in the sun and Nauta came home to account for the final score. 14-3.
Kyle Lambert tossed his second straight complete game to earn his third win of the season. Lambert struck out nine batters and walked none.
Fabbo went 4-for-5, while Shirley, Merod and Nauta each had two hits in the opener.
GAME TWO: Ithaca 5, Clarkson 4
The Bombers picked right up where they left off and took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Callaghan hit a soaring solo homerun to dead center.
Clarkson tied the game up in the second with an RBI single through the right side and took the lead, 2-1, on a balk with runners on the corners. The Golden Knights then took a 4-1 lead after the fourth inning as one run scored in each frame on wild pitches.
IC got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as the Bombers loaded the bases and scored on a sac fly to center by Fabbo, which brought home Barker-Hook.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bombers tied the contest at 4-4 after a run scored on a wild pitch and another came home on an infield error. Fabian scored on the wild pitch and Smith came home on the error.
IC regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth, 5-4, on a line drive single to right from Fabian and Callaghan scooted home from second for the game-winning run.
Shirley started on the mound for IC and allowed 10 hits over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts in a no-decision.
Charlie Hammel earned the victory in 3.0 innings of relief and was lights out, striking out six batters and allowing no hits.
Barker-Hook went 3-for-4 in Game Two, while Callaghan was 1-for-2 with two more walks – bring his total to six on the afternoon.
Ithaca heads to Clarkson tomorrow for another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
