CORTLAND, N.Y. – After a 45-minute delay due to rain, the Ithaca College baseball team pounded out 18 hits and scored at least one run in each of the first seven innings to secure a 19-9 victory over Elmira College on Thursday afternoon at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex. Ithaca is now 12-4 on the season and is 19-1 all-time against Elmira.

Elmira took a 1-0 lead just two pitches into the game as the Soaring Eagles' lead-off batter stroked a solo home run to right field.

The Bombers answered in the bottom of the first inning by batting around and produced six runs on four hits. Mike Nauta led off with a base hit and later scored on a two-run ground-rule double off the bat of Nicholas Cutaia. IC's third run scored on a single to center from Connor Pedersen, and a walk to Matt Fabian made the score 4-1. Ethan Rothstein pushed home the fifth run of the inning on a groundout and then Nauta capped off the inning with an RBI base hit through the left side.

IC's lead grew to 7-1 in the bottom of the second as Gil Merod drove home Cutaia with a double to dead centerfield that hit off the top of the wall and came back into the field of play.

Elmira got two runs back in the top of the third to make the score 7-3 after a lead-off double scored on a groundout and then the Soaring Eagles belted a solo homer to left-center.

The lead went back out to seven runs, 9-3, in the bottom of the third as Riley Brawdy ripped an RBI double to left-center and then scored on a wild pitch a few batters later.

IC continued to pile on the runs in the fourth as Rothstein drove Pedersen on a line drive single to center and the Brawdy jacked a two-run home run to right to give the Bombers a 12-3 advantage.

Elmira plated three runs in the top of the sixth, but IC responded with four in the bottom half to set the score at 18-6.

IC's 19th run of the contest scored on a groundout as Colin Shashaty crossed the plate after a triple down the right field line. Ryan Laubscher drove in the run.

Elmira scored the final three runs of the contest to account for the 19-9 final.

Zane Grimes earned the start and tossed 3.0 innings and struck out six batters in the outing for his third win of the year.

Dan Kellachan was first out of the bullpen and fanned four batters in 2.0 innings. Matt Chase then struck out a pair in an inning of work and Carter Kowalczyk tossed a hitless seventh inning. Tyler Edelman and Brett Budzak combined to throw the final two innings.

The Bombers travel to St. Lawrence this weekend for a three-game series with the Saints on April 2-3.