Ithaca Softball Team Headed Back To NCAA Division III World Series
The second-seeded Ithaca Bombers (33-13) swept through the NCAA regional with four wins in four days, beating the fourth-seeded Alfred Saxons (37-8) 7-1 in Sunday’s final. With the win, the Bombers earn their ninth trip in 15 years to the World Series.
The Bombers, who have won eight straight games – all in the postseason – will open play in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament Friday against either DePauw or Ohio Northern. The Tigers and Polar Bears will play a winner-take-all game Monday at 10 a.m. for the regional title.
Five Bombers were named to the all-tournament team: junior designated player Kerry Barger (Carmel/Carmel), senior pitcher Alyssa Brook (Monmouth Regional/Tinton Falls, N.J.), junior second baseman Kait Dolan (Farmington/Victor), freshman outfielder Molly O'Donnell (Niskayuna/Niskayuna) and senior first baseman Caitlin Ryan (Allentown/Clarksburg, N.J.).
The Bombers scored seven unearned runs and cruised to the win, wrapping up an undefeated run through the regional. Ithaca has made the most NCAA playoff appearances (23) of any school; Alfred was making the program's first trip.
A pair of Saxon errors in the first inning led to a 3-0 Ithaca lead. Junior Brittany Lillie (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Honeoye Falls) doubled home Ryan (who'd been hit by a pitch) and sent Kerry Barger (who'd reached on an error) to third. An infield error on a ground ball off the bat of center fielder Jennifer Biondi (Morris Knolls/Denville, N.J.) allowed both Lillie and Barger to score.
Ithaca broke the game open in the fourth, scoring four more runs. Shortstop Annemarie Forenza (Hunterdon Central/Whitehouse Station, N.J.) reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. An infield single by catcher Katherine Wilson (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) put runners on first and second. On a ground ball hit by Dolan the Saxons tried for a force out at third, but the errant throw allowed both runners to score and sent Dolan all the way to third. She scored on a ground out by Ryan and back-to-back doubles by Barger and O'Donnell brought home Ithaca's final run.
Alfred scored its run in the sixth on a Bomber throwing error. Another Ithaca error put runners on first and second, but Lillie struck out the final two hitters to end the threat.
Lillie struck out three of the seven batters she faced and threw two shutout innings in relief of Brook. Brook, who improved to 15-7 overall and 6-0 in the postseason, allowed five hits and an unearned run in her five innings. She struck out seven Saxons.
Dolan and Lillie both had two of Ithaca's nine hits.