ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team took two crucial Liberty League West victories over Clarkson University, 5-3 and 4-1, on Saturday at Freeman Field. The wins vault Ithaca's overall record to 24-10 and 9-2 in the West, as well as 12-4 in Liberty League play. Clarkson is now 9-16 on the season and 3-7 in the division.

The Bombers head into their final Liberty League game tomorrow with a one-game lead over Rochester, as well as the tiebreak for the top seed out of the West heading into next weekend's crossover series.

GAME ONE: Ithaca 5, Clarkson 3 (9 Innings)

Clarkson put together the first scoring opportunity of the game as the Golden Knights put a runner on second base in the top of the third inning. A hit batter reached to lead off the inning and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt but was then thrown out at third on a groundball to short. The Golden Knights would notch a base hit later in the inning to move into scoring position again, but IC got out of the jam.

IC recorded its first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth as Buzz Shirley legged out a double to left-centerfield with one out. After the double, Nicholas Cutaia walked and both runners moved up on a wild pitch, but the inning ended on a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.

The Bombers threatened again in the bottom of the fifth as Gil Merod led off with a single and moved up on a passed ball. Collin Feeney would reach on a hit by pitch but Clarkson kept the game at 0-0 as its first baseman made a diving stop on a Louis Fabbo groundball to end the frame.

Clarkson cracked the scoreboard to take a 1-0 lead in the top sixth inning on a wild pitch. Mike Nee led off with a single down the leftfield line and moved up to second on a sac bunt. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on another errant delivery by Kyle Lambert.

IC tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the sixth as Matt Fabian drove Shirley in with a sac fly to center, which was dropped, to put runners on the corners. Shirley led off with a base hit to center and the Cutaia singled up the middle to set up a sac bunt from Connor Pedersen.

After the dropped fly ball allowed Fabian to reach first and Cutaia to move to third, Merod was walked to load the bases with one out. The Bombers went ahead, 2-1, on a free pass to David Cifonelli as Cutaia trotted home and Clarkson removed Kyle Locklear from the game.

IC tacked on another run, 3-1, as Collin Feeney drove in Fabian with a hard hit ball the second, which took a bad hop on the second baseman to keep the Bombers out of a potential inning-ending double play.

Clarkson tied the game in the top of the seventh, 3-3, as back-to-back singles plated two runs. The Golden Knights started the inning with a hit by pitch and a one-out walk. After the second out was recorded, a single to left and a base hit through the right side of the infield knotted things up.

The Bombers jumped back ahead, 4-3, as Fabbo scored on an infield error with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Fabbo led off with a line drive double to left and moved to third on a groundout.

IC added another run in the eighth as the runners were moving on the pitch and Feeney hit a groundball to third base. He would be retired, but Fabian continued to run the bases and beat out the throw to home to give the Bombers a 5-3 lead.

Garrett Bell earned his sixth win of the year in 3.0 innings of relief as he struck out three batters and allowed two runs on two hits. Lambert fanned five and gave up one run on two hits and four walks in a no decision.

GAME TWO: Ithaca 4, Clarkson 1 (7 Innings)

Clarkson wasted little time taking a lead in the nightcap as a lead off double scored two batters later on a single up the middle to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 edge.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Bombers strung together three straight singles from Cutaia, Pedersen and Fabian to load the bases. Merod then stepped to the plate and drove in Cutaia and Pedersen with a base hit up the middle to gave IC a 2-1 lead. Another run scored on a single from Riley Brawdy as a grounder to second took a high hop and went into right, allowing Fabian to come home. The lead grew to 4-1 as Feeney lifted a sac fly to left and Merod scampered home to cap off the inning.

That is all the run support Nate Scott would need as he never faced more than four batters in a single inning during his 89-pitch complete game. Scott allowed one run on five hits and struck out one batter. He also made a highlight reel diving catch on a bunt attempt in the fifth inning to put the exclamation point on his outing.

Clarkson did threaten in the top of the seventh with a lead off ground rule double, but Pedersen ended the game with a diving stop up the middle to complete the 6-3 putout and give IC the game two win.

IC and Clarkson conclude the series tomorrow at 12 p.m., which is also Senior Day.