Ithaca Softball Wins Empire 8 Tournament Thriller
ITHACA, NY. – The Ithaca softball team (27-10) won a back-and-forth game 4-3 over Stevens (21-18) in 13 innings in an Empire 8 tournament contest at Kostrinsky Field. The Bombers scored the winning run in the bottom of the 13th on an RBI single by senior Kait Dolan (Victor/Farmington). Ithaca will face St. John Fisher in the fourth game of the day Friday. Stevens will play an elimination game against RIT.
Dolan's hit capped a rally that started when sophomore Adrienne Walters (Solon/Solon, Ohio) reached after being hit by a pitch. Sophomore Jennifer Biondi (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.) followed with a bunt hit and Walters aggressively took third. Dolan laced a single up the middle to bring in the winning run.
The Bombers built a pair of early one-run leads but Stevens tied the game each time. Ithaca got on the board in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Biondi to bring home junior Annmarie Forenza (Hunterdon Central/Whitehouse Station, N.J.). Ithaca had three hits in the inning.
Stevens tied the score the first time when Stephanie Senkevich lined a double off of the center field fence to bring in Naomi Sacks in the top of the fourth. Ithaca went ahead in the bottom of the fourth on a single from Walters that scored senior Allison Greaney (John F. Kennedy/Iselin, N.J.). Stevens knotted the score in the top of the sixth in an RBI single from Sacks to bring in Kayla Berardi.
The Ducks went ahead in the top of the 12th on an RBI double from Noreen Jordan that scored Victoria Webber, but Ithaca answered in the bottom of the inning when an infield hit by Lindsey Johnson (Manchester/Manchester, Conn.) scored senior Kerry Barger (Niskayuna/Niskayuna). Barger led off the inning with a double.
Greaney was the starting pitcher for Ithaca and pitched into the sixth inning. She was charged with two runs and struck out five. Freshman Jillian Olmstead (Caesar Rodney/Magnolia, Del.) earned the win (7-3) in eight innings of relief and allowed just five hits. No Stevens runners reached second base until the run-scoring double in the 12th. Berardi(14-7) threw the complete game for Stevens, and had 10 strikeouts.