ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team had a big-time matchup against the No. 18 ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday afternoon in a battle of the current top two teams within the Liberty League. Both pitchers spun the ball well in the first game as it was tied 1-1 before the Engineers were able to plate three in the 10
th inning to earn the 4-2 win. The second game was equally competitive as this time RPI was able to win in nine innings scoring a 7-5 victory.
With the pair of Liberty League losses, IC drops to 16-8 overall and 2-2 within the conference while RPI remain unbeaten at 19-0-1 and 4-0 within the LL.
No. 18 RPI 4, Ithaca 2 (F-10)
Anna Cornell was dealing to begin as she struck out the first two batters consecutively and got out of the inning by getting Alex Ledger to chase a rise ball as she went down on strikes. RPI starter Brooke Sroczinski struck out the first two in the bottom half of the first, but
Elise Waddington battled at the plate with a long at-bat and was rewarded with a solo homer over the left field fence. It was her third home run of the season and put the Bombers up 1-0.
Cornell was nearly able to work around a fielding error in the top of the second but a two-out double from Sydney Speanburg drove in Catherine Worthington to tie it up at 1-1. Both pitchers limited base runners as neither team was able to plate anything during the third and fourth innings. IC worked a perfect top half of the fifth and got a runner in scoring position when
Sela Scheinman doubled to left center field but was left stranded as Sroczinski induced an inning ending grounder off the bat of
Jessie Lopez.
The Bombers were able to hold RPI scoreless in the top of the seventh and in the bottom half of the inning Scheinman got to first base but couldn't score as this one went into extras.
Anna Cornell once again worked a perfect top half of the eighth and with one out the Bombers placed runners on first and second as they threatened to walk-off.
Ainsley Rogers was able to draw a walk to load the bases up, but they were left stranded when
Sydney Miranda popped it up to the pitcher.
In the top of the 10
th, RPI was able to make the most of the runner starting at second to begin the inning as Catherine Worthington was driven in on a bunt that IC misplayed in the field putting them up 2-1. The Engineers were able to add two more insurance runs going into the bottom half of the frame. Ithaca was able to plate one run in the bottom of the inning but the rally concluded with the Engineers taking the first game, 4-2.
No. 18 RPI 7, Ithaca 5 (F-9)
Taylor Brunn got the start in the pitching circle for IC, and she worked around a pair of walks to escape the first inning unscathed. The Bombers struck first in the bottom half of the first plating three runs on four hits.
Elise Waddington led it off with a double and she scored one batter later when
Sela Scheinman doubled to center field.
Haley Petrucci also doubled bringing the score to 2-0 and
Belle de Oliveira recorded an RBI making it 3-0 as Alexis Cooke of RPI was relieved by Ava Markert within the inning.
RPI was able to claw back and earn one run in the fourth inning and a pair of runners crossed home in the top of the fifth inning to tie it up at three runs apiece. Both were scored off of
Anna Cornell who relieved Brunn for a pair of innings.
Mady Rowell entered the pitching circle in the top of the sixth and she was able to strand a pair of runners keeping it tied, 3-3.
The Bombers were able to manufacture runners on first and second where they then advanced to second and third with two-outs on a fielder's choice. Both runners were left stranded as Ava Market got Waddington to ground out to end the inning.
Mady Rowell worked a perfect top of the seventh and
Sela Scheinman led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single. Market was able to mow down the next three IC hitters as just as the first game, this one also went to extras.
RPI struck for two in the top of the eighth making it 5-3 with Alex Ledger driving in Calista Adorno with a single as Adorno had the other RBI with a double that sailed to the left field fence. The Bombers had an answer in the bottom of the frame as
Olivia Comolli smashed a two-run homer that easily cleared the fence and tied it back up at 5-5.
The Engineers pushed home the winning runs in the top of the ninth when Erin Askins stole second, scored on a throwing error as also within the same sequence of plays, Catherine Worthington also scored on an error by the IC catcher. The Bombers couldn't match in the bottom of the inning but did outhit RPI by a 15-10 margin.
Waddington, Scheinman, Petrucci,
Belle de Oliveira and
Sydney Miranda each had two or more hits. Ithaca College will tentatively return to action on Tuesday, April 16 with a doubleheader against nearby Cornell University. The Bombers doubleheader with Skidmore on Saturday was postponed due to expected inclement weather in the Ithaca area and a makeup date is TBA.
