ITHACA, N.Y. -- The second-seeded Ithaca Bombers (32-13) beat the third-seeded Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen (32-12) 3-1 in Friday's fourth and final game of the NCAA Division III Softball Regional being held at Kostrinsky Field. The Bombers will play fourth-seeded Alfred Saturday at 2 p.m. with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship round. Lebanon Valley will play fifth-seeded King's Saturday at noon in an elimination game.
Senior Alyssa Brook earned the win, allowing just three base-runners in the game. She struck out five in improving to 13-7. Back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fourth by junior shortstop Meaghan Donoghue and junior left fielder Katie Freeman -- which generated Lebanon Valley's only run -- were the only hits she surrendered.
The Bombers took the lead three batters into the game on a lead-off walk by second baseman Kait Dolan, a sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring single by junior Kerry Barger.
In the fourth Ithaca capitalized on two of Lebanon Valley's three errors to tack on two more runs.
Barger reached on an infield error and went to third on a one-out single by freshman center fielder
Jennifer Biondi. The throw to third eluded the third baseman and
Barger scored with
Biondi advancing to third, where she scored on a squeeze bunt by junior third baseman
Allison Greaney.
Dolan and
Biondi both had two of Ithaca's nine hits.
Junior
Laura Snyder (
pictured) pitched the final two innings for Lebanon Valley, striking out three batters to give her 17 strikeouts in nine shutout innings at the regional.
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