ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team nearly completed a comeback in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, but the Bombers came up just short to the University of Rochester who swept the Bombers by winning 1-0 and then 7-6 in the nightcap as each game was ultra-competitive.

No. 25 University of Rochester 1, Ithaca 0 (F)
The Rochester Yellowjackets beat the Ithaca Bombers 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Kostrinsky Field. Both pitchers Riley Piromalli for the Bombers and Molly Broccolo were on their game but the smallest of mistakes were the ones that were magnified and the inability to get big hits with runners in scoring positions were what did the Bombers in.

The lone run scored by the Yellow Jackets, which proved to be the difference of the game came in the third inning. This all began with a two-out single by Ally Kim, who would go on to steal second base. This was followed up by an RBI double by Hunter Gilbreth, which made the score 1-0.

This victory by the Yellowjackets moved them to 18-5 on the season while dropping the Bombers to 11-5-1.

In the top of the fourth inning, Haley Petrucci made an amazing catch for the second out behind the plate where the ball seemed to get lost in the blaring sunlight, but Petrucci made a diving stop.

In the top of the seventh, the Yellowjackets had the bases loaded with nobody out and failed to score a single run. This was all made possible by a successful pickoff attempt at third base, keeping the deficit at 1-0. However, even though Tava Kasper led off the bottom of the inning with a single, Kailey Collins hit into a double play. The game was not over yet though as Suzie Williams reached on an E6 but Petrucci grounded out to end the threat and the ballgame.

Rochester who scored one run, on eight hits, and one error on the afternoon while the Bombers had no runs, two hits, and two errors.

No. 25 University of Rochester 7, Ithaca 6 (F)
The second game of the doubleheader against the Rochester Yellowjackets got off to a rocky start in the top of the first for the Bombers as Rochester plated four runs in the top half of the inning. This was due in part to a pair of IC fielding errors. Jenna Gorecki kicked off the scoring with a 2-run single and a 2-run double by Molly Mason. The bleeding continued in the second inning as Ally Kim laced an RBI double into center field allowing a fifth run to score for the Yellowjackets. In the top of the third inning, a double steal led to a sixth run scoring for the Yellow Jackets.

It was a rough afternoon for both starting pitchers in Anna Cornell for the Bombers and Maddie White for the Yellow Jackets.

The Bombers finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, exploding for five runs. The first run was scored on an RBI groundout by Madison Casale followed by back-to-back home runs. The first shot was a three-run homer off of the bat of Haley Petrucci to close the deficit to 6-4. The second shot was off the bat of Olivia Comolli to make it a one-run game, as both energized the Kostrinsky Field faithful. The Bombers would eventually tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on a Sela Scheinman RBI double.

However, Ithaca was unable to keep the Yellowjackets off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. A leadoff double by Gorecki, a groundout moving the runner to third, and an RBI double for Mason gave the University of Rochester a 7-6 lead that they would not relinquish.

To end the game, Kailey Collins grounded out to the pitcher. The Bombers fell to 11-6-1 on the season while the Yellow Jackets improved to 19-5 as both will potentially see each other again during the Liberty League Championship tournament.

Ithaca College will return to action on Thursday when they will host Cornell University for a non-conference home doubleheader. Game times are slated for 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.