ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team took on Clarkson University on Friday in a Liberty League doubleheader at Freeman Field, but Clarkson served as the home team as these games were supposed to be played in Potsdam. Ithaca won the opener, 6-4, but fell in the nightcap, 5-4. IC is now 11-8 on the season and 5-1 in the Liberty League.

GAME ONE: Ithaca 6, Clarkson 4

The Bombers were retired in order to lead off the top of the first inning with two strikeouts and a pop out. Colin Leyner got the start on the bump and quickly ran into trouble by hitting the first batter who then stole second. Seth Albert was able to score off a single hit by Aiden Kuefner, which gave Clarkson the 1-0 lead. The Golden Knights were able to plate three more runs after a few Ithaca errors, but Leyner settled down to get out of the jam.

Ithaca threatened to answer in the top half of the second and were able to get on base after two walks but left them stranded.

Jack Colyer came in relief of Leyner in the bottom of the second and retired the side in order. Neither team got much going in the third and fourth innings as the score remained 4-0 in favor of Clarkson going into the fifth frame.  The Bombers were finally able to get on the scoreboard when Riley Brawdy blasted his third home run of the season over the fence in right field. Ethan Fantel pinch hit and drove in Andrew McDermott making it 4-2. Fantel scored on a passed ball with them chasing Cole Riskin from the game as the IC rally continued. The Bombers would tie it up on a throwing error from the Golden Knights with Ethan Daddabbo scoring.

Colyer was able to escape a jam with runners on first and third to keep the game 4-4 moving into the sixth inning. Andrew McDermott doubled home Zack Sperger to give Ithaca its first lead of the game at 5-4 and they would add to that with another RBI recorded from Fantel. Colyer kept rolling by throwing his fifth strikeout of the game. The junior would work a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning. Sean Kelly came in to close out the game for the Bombers and here in the save, his second of the season.

Colyer tossed 7.0 innings of relief and struck out six batters while allowing just one hit.

GAME TWO: Clarkson 5, Ithaca 4

IC jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the top of the second with two outs. Fantel scored on a ground out to second base, while Matt Curtis scored on a wild pitch. Ethan Murley kept the Knights scoreless through two innings. Both teams were scoreless in the third inning. 

It remained scoreless for Ithaca through innings three and four. Clarkson scored one run in the bottom of the fourth on a ground out to second base with a man on third. Clarkson tied the score at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly to center field. 

IC got back on the scoreboard during the top of the sixth, scoring two runs on two singles up the middle. Bases became loaded for Ithaca with two outs but ended the top of the inning with a strikeout. 

Bases were loaded for Clarkson at the bottom of the sixth, Kuefner scored from third on a sac fly to left field to make it 4-3. With two outs and bases loaded for Clarkson, Ithaca lucked out on a fly ball to left field, ending the sixth inning. 

Both teams were scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings. 

In the bottom of the ninth inning the Knights tied the game at 4-4 on an infield single to second base. Shortly after, they scored another run on a wild pitch, for a walk-off 5-4 win. 

Murley pitched 6.0 innings and and recorded two strikeouts. Dan Kellechan and John Griffin each threw 1.2 innings of relief.

The Bombers will take on Clarkson again tomorrow at 10 am at Freeman Field.