Bombers Score Late For 3-2 Baseball Win At #21 Chapman
Orange, Calif. -- The Ithaca College baseball team (3-1) pushed across the winning run in the seventh inning to beat #21 Chapman (6-8) 3-2 late Sunday to open the team's eight-game spring trip in southern California. The win marked the sixth time in nine years the Bombers have opened their California trip with a win and snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Panthers.
Sophomore shortstop Tim Locastro scored two of Ithaca's runs, including the game winner. He drew a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, advanced all the way to third on an errant pickoff throw, then scored on a two-strike base hit by Mike Rosenbaum.
Pat Lemmo earned the win, improving to 2-0 by striking out seven. He allowed seven hits and a walk, allowing just an unearned run over his final six innings.
Senior Tucker Healy pitched a one-two-three ninth for his first save of the year and the 11th of his career. Healy ranks fourth on the program's all-time list and is two away from moving into second place.
Healy's performance extended the strong start by Ithaca's relief pitchers; through four games, the Bomber bullpen has pitched 7.2 innings of two-run relief, giving up four hits.
As a staff, Ithaca's compiled a 1.54 ERA with opponents hitting just .185 with four extra-base hits (all doubles) and nine walks. The Bomber staff has struck out 34 batters in 35 innings of work.
Senior right fielder Teagen Barresi, who had two of Ithaca's seven hits, drove in the Bombers' second run with a third-inning single that brought home Rosenbaum to break a 1-1 tie. Rosenbaum had reached on a dropped third strike and taken second and third on an infield groundout.
The Panthers' first wild pitch of the day scored the game's first run. Locastro singled to lead off the contest, then stole second and reached third on a groundout before scoring on a two-out wild pitch.
Locastro, who stole a pair of bases in the win, is now hitting .667 with five runs scored.
Ithaca took advantage of numerous Chapman mistakes: the Panthers committed three errors (including catcher's interference), balked once and allowed two runners to reach first on mishandled third strikes -- including Locastro, who came around to score the game-winning run.
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