CANTON, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team traveled to the North Country this weekend to play St. Lawrence University in a three-game Liberty League series. On Saturday, IC and St. Lawrence split the doubleheader, as the Bombers won the opener, 7-4, and the Saints took game two, 6-2. Ithaca is now 13-5 overall and 2-2 in league play.
GAME ONE: ITHACA 7, ST. LAWRENCE 4
IC nearly tossed a no-hitter in game one as
Kyle Lambert allowed just one hit over 7.0 innings pitched with five strikeouts in a winning effort.
Ethan Buckley then fired a perfect eighth inning with three strikeouts, but the Saints put together a comeback effort in the ninth and scored four runs on four hits to account for the final score of 7-4.
Louis Fabbo got the Bombers on the board in the top of the third inning with a solo home run to left and then
Mike Nauta drove in a pair in the fifth on a single up the middle to make the score 3-0.
Two more runs scored for IC in the sixth as
Matt Fabian stroked a two-run single and the lead grew to 6-0 in the seventh on a double play. IC's final run crossed in the eighth as Fabian scored on a wild pitch.
Buzz Shirley went 3-for-5 in the opener to extend his hitting streak to nine straight games. Fabbo, Fabian and
Gil Merod each collected two hits in the win.
GAME TWO: ST. LAWRENCE 6, ITHACA 2
The Saints wasted little time to take a lead in the nightcap as SLU plated six runs in the bottom of the second inning to establish a 6-0 lead. All six runs scored with two outs as a two-run single got the rally started and then another base hit made the score 3-0. The next batter for SLU capped off the inning by blasting a three-run homer.
Ithaca finally pushed a run across in the fifth inning as Nauta drove in Fabian with a sacrifice fly.
IC plated another run in the top of the seventh as Shirley drew a bases loaded hit by pitch, pushing home Fabian. IC's next batter struck out to end the game at 6-2.
Fabian posted another two-hit performance to lead the offense, while five other players collected a hit.
Nate Scott took the loss in a complete game as he allowed six earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
The Bombers and Saints wrap up their series tomorrow at 12 p.m.
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