ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team played its first-ever games at Bard College on Wednesday afternoon and came away with a Liberty League doubleheader sweep, 11-8 and 6-3. With the wins, IC takes three-of-four from Bard on the season and improves to 14-7-1 overall and 9-2-1 in the Liberty League.

GAME ONE: Ithaca 11, Bard 8

The Bombers fell behind, 4-1, after the first inning. Garrett Callaghan stroked a solo homerun in the top of the first before Bard scored four runs on six hits in the bottom half.

IC went ahead in the second, 5-4, with a four-run frame. Gil Merod and Matt Fabian started the rally with a pair of walks. A wild pitch advanced Merod and then Fabian stolen second, and a throwing error, allowed Merod to come home. A sacrifice fly from Ethan McDonough pushed home Fabian, and a two more wild pitches tied the game as McDonough scored. IC took the lead on an RBI double from Jack Lynch as Mike Nauta scored from first base.

Bard would tie the game up at 5-5 in the bottom of the second, but a run in the third and two more in the fourth from the Bombers established a three-run advantage, 8-5. Merod drove in Buzz Shirley on a groundout in the third and then Nauta scored on a double from Louis Fabbo, followed by a sac fly from Lynch in the fourth.

The Raptors scored another run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 8-6 on a pair of hits and an error.

Ithaca went back up by three in the sixth inning as Colin Shashaty scored on a base hit from Fabbo. As the inning moved on, Callaghan blasted a two-run homer with Fabbo on base to send IC to the bottom of the sixth with an 11-6 lead.

Bard would go on to score two runs in the seventh to account for the final score of 11-8.

Kyle Lambert picked up his fourth win of the season despite giving up six runs (five earned) on 13 hits. Lambert struck out four batters in 6.0 innings pitched. Brett Budzek tossed the seventh inning in relief.

Fabbo was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Callaghan and Nauta each finished with two hits in the opener.

IC stole five bases in the Game One victory – two from Fabian, two by Shashaty and one from Merod.

GAME TWO: Ithaca 6, Bard 3

Shirley was the story of the nightcap, as he went 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and earned his third win of the season on the mound by striking out 11 batters over 7.0 innings pitched. He also allowed three runs (two earned) on just two hits and four walks.

Garrett Bell picked up his first save of the season in 2.0 innings of work with two strikeouts.

IC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Aaron Shoemaker drew a bases loaded walk and then Shashaty bunted for a base hit and Shirley scored on the play.

The Bombers extended their lead to 3-0 in the third on an error. Callaghan scored from third after Shashaty put the ball in play. In the fifth, IC plated another run on an RBI single off the bat of Shoemaker, bringing home Shirley.

Bard pulled to within a run in the seventh on a three-run homer, but IC scored the final two runs of the game in the eighth on an RBI single from Matt Smith, which brought home Shashaty, and then Fabbo singled in Smith.

The Bombers play RPI this weekend in a four-game series. IC heads to Troy on Saturday and hosts the Engineers on Sunday.