Ithaca Pitches Shutout Sweep Over Stevens
Paul Hershey
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca softball team (25-11, 12-0 Empire 8) swept a doubleheader against Stevens Institute of Technology (14-21, 5-5 Empire 8), winning both games by shutout, to wrap up a perfect Empire 8 regular season Saturday afternoon at Kostrinsky Field. The Bombers won the first game 3-0 and the second game 6-0.
Ithaca 3, Stevens 0 |
Box Score
The Bombers accounted for all the scoring in the opener with a three-run third inning in which they got all four of their hits in the game. Sophomore left fielder Rachel Dell’Orto hit a one-out double and moved to third on a single by freshman shortstop Francesca Busa, who advanced to second on the throw. Two batters later, sophomore first baseman Sydney Folk delivered a two-out, two-run double to the gap in left-center. Junior third baseman Molly O’Donnell then lined a single to left, scoring Folk to make it 3-0.
Sophomore pitchers Sam Bender and Jillian Olmstead combined for a three-hitter, with Bender going five innings to notch the victory and improve to 11-5. Bender allowed two hits and struck out one. Olmstead allowed just one infield hit and recorded her sixth save, working out of jam in the sixth. Stevens brought the tying run to the plate, but Olmstead induced an inning-ending ground out to herself, before working a perfect seventh to finish it.
Ithaca 6, Stevens 0 |
Box Score
Bender and Olmstead teamed for a one-hit shutout, blanking the Ducks for a second straight game. Bender again went five innings, allowing just a two-out single in the fourth. She struck out four and walked none for her 12th victory. Olmstead pitched two perfect innings in relief. The duo was also backed by flawless defense in the field, with first baseman Folk, shortstop Busa and third baseman O'Donnell, each making sharp plays on groundballs in the game.
The Bombers struck for two runs in the first on a double by Busa, an RBI single by junior Jennifer Biondi and an RBI double by Folk. Ithaca tacked on two more runs in the fourth. After a walk and a hit batter, Folk hit a long single over the right-fielder that loaded the bases. A groundball off the bat of O'Donnell brought home Busa and a fielding error on the play also allowed Biondi to score to make it 4-0. The Bombers capped the scoring with two in the sixth. Freshman Maggie Maurice led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI double down the left-field line by junior Adrienne Walters, who was 2-for-3 in the game. Walters scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Busa. The Bombers totaled eight hits, with Folk going 2-for-2 with two runs scored.