ITHACA, N.Y. – It was another gorgeous afternoon in South Hill on Sunday and runs were tough to come by in both games as the Ithaca College softball program split its doubleheader with RPI. The Bombers used a two-run walk-off blast from Kailey Collins that powered them to the 4-3 game one win, but RPI took the second game by a 1-0 score.
 
Ithaca 4, RPI 3 (F)
 
The Bombers kept the top of the first inning short and sweet with only four Engineers up to bat. Kira Flegenheimer made the first out catching the lead off bunt, followed by Riley Piromalli's first strikeout of the day. After walking the next batter, Sela Scheinman ended the inning catching a short pop fly to third base. Unfortunately, the bottom half of the inning was kept short too after the Engineers caught fly balls from Emma Kindblom and Allison Dell'Orto, while Julia Loffredo fell to a strikeout.
 
Despite giving up a single at the start of the second inning, the Bombers kept it to another four-batter inning. Tava Kasper caught a pop fly behind shortstop to get the first out, followed by a sacrifice bunt to put the runner for the Engineers on second. Loffredo ended the inning with an impressive diving catch behind the pitcher's circle. However, RPI made the bottom half of the inning even shorter with three up, three down. Scheinman lined out to the Engineers' second baseman followed by their first baseman catching a Kailey Collins' foul ball. Daniella Mulvey went out looking on a close 3-2 count to end the inning.
 
Collins gave the Bombers their first out of the third inning after catching a deep foul ball out to left field. Jessica Torch laid down a bunt and got on base just before Piromalli could make the throw to first. Loffredo caught a foul ball to first base to get Ithaca's second out. Flegenheimer and Kasper teamed up for the third out to tag Torch in her attempt to steal second. Kasper led off for the Bombers in the bottom of the third and battled with a 2-2 count before going down looking on an inside strike. Flegenheimer also went down looking on an inside strike with a 3-2 count. Belle de Oliveira grounded out to the pitcher to end the third inning.
 
Both the Bombers and Engineers went into the top of the fourth scoreless. Erin Askins sent a line drive to center field to get on base for RPI before Gabby Comeau grounded out at first. Piromalli earned her second strikeout of the game for the Bombers' second out of the inning. Collins ended the top of the inning shortly after, catching a low pop-fly to left field. Despite Kindblom striking out swinging, Allison Dell'Orto ripped a hit out between center and right field for her second triple in two days. Loffredo sent a hit out to left field and got to third by an fielding error to send Dell'Orto home for the first run of the game. Scheinman sent a deep fly out to left field to send Loffredo in and put Ithaca up 2-0 with the sacrifice fly.
 
With the Bombers still leading 2-0 at the top of the sixth, Torch sent a single to third base, but made it to first before Dell'Orto could get a foot on the bag to get the out. Riley Piromalli walked the next batter before Askins sent a hit out to left field to load the bases for the Engineers. Comeau then sent a double to left field and cleared the bases, giving RPI a 3-2 over Ithaca. Liv Vizzini sent a grounder directly to Loffredo, who stepped on first to give the Bombers their first out in the sixth. Piromalli struck out the next batter for her sixth strikeout of the day before Flegenheimer caught a foul ball over home plate to end the top of the inning. IC were unable to plate a run in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Riley Piromalli started the seventh inning strong with two strike outs, but it was followed by a bunt to put an Engineers runner on first. The runner stole second after Flegenheimer attempted to pick her off at first but overthrew the ball to right field. Piromalli struck out the fourth batter to end the top of the seventh. Loffredo led the Bombers off in the bottom of the seventh with a walk to first, which set up the heroics off the bat of Kailey Collins. After fouling off the first pitch, Collins smacked an opposite field two-run walk-off homer to power Ithaca to the victory.
 
RPI 1, Ithaca 0 (F)
 
Anna Cornell started the Bombers second game of the day against RPI with her first strike out, but the Engineers followed up with back-to-back singles to put Catherine Worthington and Askins on base. Allison Dell'Orto caught a fly ball between second base and right field to give Ithaca its second out of the inning. Kasper ended the top of the first, fielding a ground ball sent to short stop and throwing out the runner out at first.
 
With both teams scoreless going into the second inning, Belle de Oliveira caught a pop fly out to right field for the Bombers first out. Julia Loffredo followed up with the second, fielding a ground ball to first and tagging the runner. Cornell struck out her second batter of the day to go three up, three down in the top of the second. Collins ripped a line drive up the center of the field, but RPI pitcher Brooke Sroczinski caught the ball for the Engineers first out of the inning. de Oliveira battled with a 3-2 count, but ultimately went down swinging before Tava Kasper grounded out to third to end the second inning.
 
Cornell dominated the top of the third inning striking out the first three batters that stepped to the plate, but the Bombers were unable to mount any hits in the bottom of the frame.
 
Still scoreless at the top of the fourth, Cornell struck out her sixth batter of the game to start the inning. Dell'Orto fielded a ground ball to second base and threw the runner out at first for the Bombers' second out. Vizzini sent a ball out passed right field, but de Oliveira threw the ball infield quick enough to keep it to a single. Anna Cornell caught a short fly ball back to the mound to end the top of the fourth inning. Julia Loffredo popped up to RPI's center fielder before Sela Scheinman split second and third base with a single out to left field. Collins grounded out to send Scheinman to second. Mulvey struck out swinging to end the fourth inning.
 
Loffredo started off the fifth inning hot for the Bombers, catching a low line drive to first base on the first play of the inning. Cornell struck out the second batter to give Ithaca its second out. Despite walking the next batter, Cornell threw the fourth out at first to end the top of the fifth. Kasper walked on to first to start the bottom of the inning for Ithaca. Flegenheimer struck out just before de Oliveira sacrifice bunted to the pitcher to advance Kasper to second. Kindblom struck out to end the inning.
 
The lone run of the game was notched on a sacrifice fly that plated Erin Askins as Liv Vizzini drove the ball deep enough into the outfield to not give IC a chance to throw the runner out at the plate.
 
Leading 1-0, RPI got on base immediately to start the seventh inning after Dell'Orto overthrew to first. The Bombers got their first out when the second batter grounded out to third and Scheinman threw her out at first. Cornell struck out her eighth hitter of the day for Ithaca's second out. Kasper ended the top of the seventh catching a pop fly behind third base. Mulvey popped up to right field just before Tava Kasper grounded out to the shortstop for RPI's first two outs of the seventh. Kira Flegenheimer struck out swinging to end the game. With the loss, IC dropped to 18-11 overall and 9-1 in the Liberty League.
 
Ithaca (18-11, 9-1 LL) will have a busy week ahead beginning with a road non-conference doubleheader against SUNY Geneseo. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m.