ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team hosted the Cortland Red Dragons on Tuesday at Kostrinsky Field and came away with a doubleheader sweep. The Bombers rallied for a 3-2 victory in the opener before holding on for a 4-3 win in the nightcap, with Taylor Brunn earning the save in both games. With the sweep, Ithaca improved to 20-7 on the season.
 
ITHACA 3, CORTLAND 2 (F)
Cortland jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as Shelby LaMont launched a two-run homer over the right field fence off Mady Rowell. The junior settled in from there, escaping further damage before her offense answered immediately in the bottom of the first.
 
Ithaca capitalized on a Cortland fielding error to score three unearned runs. Cate Murray drove in both Elise Waddington and Anna Bello with a double into the left-center gap, then stole third and came home when Haley Petrucci reached on an infield single to give the Bombers a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Bombers threatened again in the second inning after Bello doubled to put runners on second and third with one out, but Gianna Endieveiri worked out of the jam and stranded both runners.
 
Offense was limited for both sides through the middle innings until the Red Dragons loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Rowell induced back-to-back groundouts, including a key force out at home by Madison Schoenenberger, to preserve Ithaca's 3-2 lead.
 
Taylor Brunn would enter the circle and slammed the door shut on the Red Dragons scattering one hit with a pair of punchouts across the final two innings. It was her first save of the season and third of her career as Rowell picked up the win to improve to 8-1.
 
ITHACA 4, CORTLAND 3 (F)
In the second game of their final home game series, the Bombers swept Cortland with a 4-3 win. The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when Molly Gibson singled to left center, bringing in Jessie Lopez. Haley Petrucci then brought in Madison Schoenenberger on a sac fly, bringing the score to 2-0. In the same inning, Cate Murray doubled to center field, scoring both Anna Bello and Molly Gibson.
 
Cortland stayed scoreless until the seventh, when they brought in three runs off three hits, with the final scoring on a wild pitch. The Bombers kept them at bay however, ending the game with a fly out to right field as Taylor Brunn entered for her second save. 
 
Madison Collins stayed strong in the circle throughout the game, with only five hits allowed and earned the win. 
 
Next up, Ithaca College returns to Liberty League play this weekend and will travel to Rochester to take on RIT on Saturday in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.