Ithaca Opens Tournament Play With 3-0 Win Over Utica
BOX SCORE
Ithaca College opened Empire 8 tournament play with a 3-0 shutout victory over Utica on Friday afternoon at Kostrinsky Field. Ithaca advanced in the winner's bracket of the E8 tournament and will play against Alfred later Friday afternoon. Utice will face Stevens Institute of Technology at 2:30pm in an elminiation game.
Senior pitcher
Sam Bender threw a complete-game three-hit shutout and picked up her 14th victory of the season. Bender allowed three singles in three separate half-innings. Utica had its best chance to score in the top of the fourth when runners were stranded at second and third. Bender responded by striking out the side in the top of the fifth. Over seven innings of work, Bender had five strikeouts and issued just one walk.
Ithaca took the lead in the bottom of the third when
Jessie Fleck singled and advanced to third on a throwing error. She came in to score on a
Julianne Vincent single. Two insurance runs scored in the bottom of the sixth, both were unearned. With two outs, Fleck singled to shortstop to bring in pinch-runner
Jenna Tambasco and that was followed by a
Francesca Busa single to bring in Fleck.
Ithaca had eight hits in the contest, two each from Busa, Fleck and
Monica Capolongo. Busa's first-inning triple was the Bombers' only extra-base hit. Vincent and
Rachel Dell'Orto also singled in the win.
Utica sophomore
Alysa Russell led the way for the Pioneers going 2-for-2 at the plate while
Cassie Smith was 1-for-3. Sophomore
Abby Monroe gave up eight hits and struck out three in six innings of work.