GENEVA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team split a Friday doubleheader at Hobart on Friday as the Bombers dropped the opener, 15-14, but took game two by a 6-3 score. Ithaca is 19-13 on the season and 8-7 in the division. Currently, Ithaca sits in fourth in the division and would travel to RPI for the Crossover Series next weekend.
GAME ONE: HOBART 15, ITHACA 14
In what was a pitcher's duel through four innings, turned into an offensive onslaught in the second half of the contest. IC led, 2-1, after the top of the fifth, but Hobart plated six runs in the bottom half to take a 7-2 advantage.
Ithaca then scored eight runs in the seventh inning to go back ahead, 10-7, but the Statesmen responded with a seven-run bottom the seventh to jump back into the lead at 14-10. The Bombers were resilient and put up four more runs in the eighth to knot the game, only to watch Hobart walk-off in the bottom of the ninth on an infield error with the bases loaded.
Matt Curtis went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI, while
Sheldon Jay Walker III ws 2-for-4 with three runs and four RBI, including a grand slam in the seventh inning.
Ethan Fantel drove in three runs on two hits with two runs scored in five trips to the plate. Those three batters accounted for eight of IC's 12 hits in the loss.
Jack Picozzi started on the mound and went 4.2 innings with five strikeouts. Picozzi allowed seven runs (five earned) on five hits.
Ray Stein was first out of the bullpen and allowed three runs on two hits in 2.0 innings, while
Richard Zangara took the loss in 1.2 innings of work.
GAME TWO: ITHACA 6, HOBART 3
The Bombers rebounded in the nightcap and mounted a late-inning comeback to pull off the 6-3 win. Hobart led, 3-0, through the top of the fifth inning, but IC scored the final six runs of the contest with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Jake Alfano drove in the first run for the Bombers with a sacrifice fly and
Lucas Orlovitz followed with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
In the sixth,
Ethan Daddabbo drilled a solo home run to tie the game and then he gave IC the lead in the seventh with a bases loaded hit by pitch. Walker brought in another run with a sac fly and
Isaiah Smith drove home the final run with an infield single.
Fantel was 4-for-4 to cap off a 10-hit series, while Daddabbo went 3-for-3. Walker and Orlovitz also collected multi-hit games.
Reed Bailey struck out eight batters over 6.0 innings in a no decision and
Anders Lowkes picked up the win with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Ithaca wraps up its regular season at Brockport on April 28.
