ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team concluded its Liberty League schedule with a 9-6 loss to Hobart at Freeman Field on Friday afternoon as part of Senior Day on South Hill. Ithaca is now 22-13 overall and 11-6 in the Liberty League.
 
Despite a tough start to the game after hitting Hobart's leadoff batter and walking the second, Garrett Bell struck out the next two. Connor Pedersen earned the third out for the Bombers after fielding a ground ball hit to shortstop and forcing the runner out at second.
 
Collin Feeney kicked things off for the bottom of the first inning after hitting a groundball out to right field just between first and second to get on base as the leadoff batter for Ithaca. Louis Fabbo then hit a single that advanced Feeney to third after sending a pop up just out of reach for Hobart's right fielder. Matt Fabian hit the next single to Hobart's third baseman, who got the out at second, but allowed for Feeney to score the Bombers' first run of the game. Going into the second inning, Ithaca led 1-0 over Hobart.
 
Bell walked Hobart's first batter of the second inning, but he was thrown out at second by Ithaca third baseman Ethan Rothstein shortly after when the next Statesmen batter. Ithaca second baseman Riley Brawdy tallied the Bombers' second out of the inning after fielding a groundball and forcing the out at first. Pedersen ended the second inning for Ithaca after throwing the third out to first. Unfortunately, the Bombers went three-up-three-down on offense at the bottom of the second inning but continued to lead 1-0 over Hobart.
 
Bell led the third inning off strong after battling to strikeout the Statesmen's first batter. Right fielder Garrett Callaghan picked up the Bomber's second out of the third after catching a pop up and throwing in to Ithaca's short stop of keep Hobart's runners from moving from first and second. Despite fumbling a ground ball hit to him at second, Brawdy managed to still get the third out at first for the Bombers to end the top of the third inning. The Bombers went three-up-three-down again to end the third, but still remained on top of Hobart 1-0.
 
Bell started the fourth inning hot again with a strikeout followed by fielding a groundball hit right back at him on the mound and threw to first. Despite Hobart getting one runner on base after hitting a single out to right field, Bell ended the top of the fourth the same way he started it with another strikeout. After the Bombers' first batter struck out, Fabian shot a double out to right field and up the first baseline to get on base. Mike Nauta grounded out at first to follow, but pushed Fabian into scoring position at third. However, the Bombers were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and struck out to end the fourth inning.
 
The Statesmen loaded the bases to start the fifth inning and scored their first run of the game to tie things up after stealing home. The Bombers were able to keep them to just one run before earning three straight outs, including one in a pickle between third and home after a Hobart runner attempted to run home after Ithaca caught a pop up. Gil Merod sent a bomb over the left field tree line on the first pitch to start the Bombers off in the bottom of the fifth and give Ithaca the lead back. Ithaca popped up and grounded out the next three at-bats, but maintained its lead and ended the fifth 2-1 over Hobart.
 
Hobart started the sixth inning with a double sent out to the left field, then added another runner to first base before Eddie Rives struck out his first batter of the game. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to stop Hobart though after Christian Petry hit a two-run triple for the Statesmen to give them their first lead of the game. After a pitching change for the Bombers, the Statesmen loaded the bases again and scored another run on error at home plate followed by another walked in. Hobart then had back-to-back singles that sent three RBIs in before Ithaca changed pitchers again and Landon White came in. Fabbo caught a pop up sent to left field to end the top of the sixth for the Bombers, now down 8-2 to the Statesmen.

Ithaca started the bottom of the sixth with a pop up along the first baseline and a grounder sent to second base thrown out at first. Fabian was able to get on base for the Bombers after getting hit by a pitch, but couldn't score after Hobart got its third out by catching a pop up sent to left field. Hobart continued to lead 8-2 going into the top of the seventh.
 
The seventh inning started with Hobart's first batter advancing to first after getting hit by a pitch, but the Bombers bounced back with a double play after the next hit was sent to Pedersen at shortstop, tossed it to Brawdy to get the out at second, who then threw the hitter out at first. White struck out the third batter to end the top of the seventh inning.

Hobart would add another run in the top of the ninth with a leadoff solo home run to make it a 9-2 contest, but the Bombers did not go down easily, as Rothstein belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and Matt Curtis drilled a pinch-hit solo shot to pull back to within three runs at 9-6. IC could not get any closer, however, and took the loss.

Ithaca will play its final regular season game next Tuesday, May 2 at home against Brockport at 4 p.m. The Bombers will then learn their opponent for the Liberty League Crossover Series on May 6-7.