ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College softball team hosted Nazareth University for its home opener on Wednesday afternoon. The Bombers split their games against the Golden Flyers, losing 14-10 in the first game and rallying to a 6-5 victory in the second game.
 
NAZARETH 14, ITHACA 10 (F)
Nazareth opened the scoring in the top of the second frame when Alexis Brown singled and scored two runs, giving the Golden Flyers the lead. The Bombers responded when Haley Petrucci doubled to left center, scoring both Elise Waddington and Cate Murray. Anna Bello followed when she singled up the middle, scoring Jessie Lopez, bringing the score after the second to 3-2.
 
In inning three, Nazareth came back to tie the game up when Kaijah Alexander homered. Ithaca's Ava Rao singled to right center in response, scoring Elise Waddington. The Bombers kept going in the third, with Haley Petrucci doubling to center, scoring Ava Rao.
 
Bryanna Moroughan from Nazareth homered to right field, bringing in three runs and helping Nazareth get a lead of 6-5 in the fourth frame. Despite Nazareth taking the lead, Sydney Miranda singled to right center, scoring Anna Bello. Cate Murray then tripled to right, scoring Miranda and giving the Bombers the lead once again. 
 
Paige Cannon and Haley Petrucci scored in the fifth inning on a bunt error on the catcher. Elise Waddington singled, scoring Sydney Miranda in the sixth inning, pushing the Bombers up to a 10-7 advantage after two scoreless innings from Nazareth. 
 
In the seventh inning, Madison Hicks reached first on an error, bringing in two runs. Ruby Marrape then brought in two runs on another error in right field. Alexis Brown doubled to the left side, scoring two more. The game ended as Bryanna Moroughan singled to center, bringing in one last run for Nazareth. Ithaca was held to a scoreless seventh inning, leading to their loss of 14-10 against Nazareth.
 
ITHACA 6, NAZARETH 5 (F)
Despite the loss to Nazareth in game one, the Bombers came out swinging to begin the nightcap. Madison Schonenberger homered to left field in inning one, giving Ithaca a lead of 1-0 after the first. 
 
After four scoreless frames from Ithaca, and Nazareth taking the lead of 5-1, Cate Murray singled to third base, scoring Elise Waddington in the fourth inning. The Bombers continued to chip away as Sydney Miranda singled to right center, bringing in Jessie Lopez in the fifth. 
 
Ithaca tied up the game in the bottom half of the sixth, Haley Petrucci singled, scoring Cate Murray. Jessie Lopez followed by singling to third base, bringing in Molly Gibson to even out the score at 5-5.
 
In the seventh inning, Molly Gibson singled to right field, scoring Elise Waddington and ending the game in triumph for the Bombers as they walked off to earn the split. Kahlen Cornell earned the win in the circle pitching the final inning where she induced two fly outs along with a strikeout.
 
The Bombers now stand at 11-6 overall and their string of home games continue on Friday with a Liberty League doubleheader against Skidmore College. Ithaca will host the Thoroughbreds on Doris Kostrinsky Field for game times of 3 and 5 p.m.