Ithaca College Athletics

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Ithaca College softball team defeated the RPI Engineers 11-8 in its first game of the Liberty League Championship tournament on Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Bombers will square off against top-seeded No. 24 University of Rochester at 10 a.m. on Friday in a semifinal matchup.
 
In the first inning of the game, the Engineers took an early lead after getting two runners in scoring position, Addison Shaffer hit a three-run homer to take the lead. However, the bottom of the frame Ithaca cut the lead to 3-1 with Haley Petrucci launching a homer of her own into left center on the third pitch of the at-bat. 
 
RPI then added another run in the top of the second with a double to bring home the runner at first, giving the Engineers a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, the Bombers took advantage of an RPI error as Sydney Miranda struck a double to bring home Kailen Winkelblech to make it 4-2. The following inning the Bombers then loaded the bases with a single, double, and a walk, which allowed Ava Rao to bring home another run with a fielder's choice.
 
In the fourth inning, the Bombers continued to rally back as Miranda led off the inning by reaching first after getting hit by a pitch. Jessie Lopez then moved over the runner with a sacrifice bunt. Miranda then got to third on a throwing error from the outfield, before coming home on a two-out base hit from Madison Schoenenberger to tie the game 4-4. Petrucci and Cate Murray followed with two more base hits to take the lead for the first time in the game 5-4. The Bombers capped off the inning with Winkelblech reaching base on a throwing error, while driving in two more runs to extend the lead to 7-4.
 
In the fifth inning, the Engineers tied the game right back up, scoring a run on a single into right field, plus two more unearned runs on a throwing error. However, in the bottom of the frame the Bombers loaded the bases to start the inning with three consecutive singles. Paige Cannon, pinch running, scored the first run of the inning when Anna Bello grounded out into a fielder's choice, also putting two runners in scoring position. Petrucci then struck her fourth hit of the day to bring home two more runs with a single up the middle to make it 10-7.
 
The Engineers then got one run back in the sixth inning. After getting a two-out walk, they scored an unearned run on a dropped fly ball in the outfield. Ithaca added another run of their own with Ava Rao homering to right center field, which lifted the Bombers to 11-8 victory.
 
Haley Petrucci went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBI, while the Bombers collected 13 hits in the game. Meanwhile, Madison Collins and Taylor Brunn combined to throw 5.1 innings in relief, allowing only one earned run. Brunn earned her fourth save of the season, collecting five strikeouts in two innings of work.
 
The winner of Friday's semifinal matchup between Rochester and Ithaca will move onto the championship game on Saturday at 12 p.m. The loser will square off against the winner of RPI/St. Lawrence tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.