ROCHESTER, N.Y. –The Ithaca College baseball team fell to Liberty League opponent RIT on Friday afternoon at Freeman Field, dropping a 13–3 decision as the Tigers used a big middle-innings surge to pull away.

Ithaca struck first in the opening inning when Tre Walker III crossed the plate to give the Bombers an early 1–0 lead. After RIT responded with three runs in the third inning, the Bombers answered again in the fourth to tie the game at 3–3 behind contributions from Ethan Fantel and Zach Sperger, who each drove in runs in the inning.

RIT regained momentum in the fifth inning and continued to apply pressure offensively, scoring in five straight innings from the third through the eighth to take control of the contest.

Camden Laney led Ithaca at the plate with a strong 3-for-4 performance, while Isaiah Smith finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Sperger added a two-RBI effort, accounting for much of the Bombers' production offensively.

On the mound, Jack Picozzi made the start and worked through four innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out three. Ben Ruth, Anders Lowkes, Cole Stefanelli, and Ryan Kane combined to cover the remaining innings in relief.

RIT's offense was paced by Jarin Moses, who finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Hayes Waddell and Jackson Rusiecki each connected on home runs as part of a 13-hit afternoon for the Tigers.

Defensively, Ithaca recorded nine assists and 21 putouts, with steady contributions across the infield, though two errors extended scoring opportunities for RIT during key innings.

With the loss, Ithaca moves to 12–7 on the season. The Bombers will look to respond quickly as they face RIT again tomorrow in a double header at Falcon Park in Auburn, N.Y., with first pitch scheduled at noon and 3 pm to continue the Liberty League series.