Ithaca Swept by Nationally Ranked Kean on Sunday
UNION, N.J. – The Ithaca College baseball team lost a pair of non-conference games at nationally ranked Kean on Sunday afternoon in Union, N.J. With the setbacks, Ithaca is now 2-7 on the season, while Kean improves to 11-4.
Kean is currently ranked No. 6 by d3baseball.com and No. 7 by Collegiate Baseball in Division III.
Game One: Kean 2, Ithaca 1
Kean scored its two runs on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the second and tacked on one more in the seventh on a single, which was unearned.
The Bombers got one back in the top of the ninth on an RBI base hit from senior
Matt Connolly that plated freshman Domenic Boresta. Boresta entered the game as a pinch runner for senior
Brian Burns, who reached on a pinch-hit single with one out.
Ithaca had a chance to tie or take the lead with the bases loaded after a walk, but the game ended on a fly out to left field.
Senior
Andrew Sanders kept the Bombers in the contest all day with a complete game showing on the mound. Sanders scattered six hits over eight innings and struck out six batters with no walks.
Senior
Christian Brown and junior
Zach Cole both went 2-for-4 at the plate for Ithaca. Brown also doubled, as did junior
Stephen Yanchus in a 1-for-4 effort in Game One.
Game Two: Kean 8, Ithaca 0
The Cougars jumped right out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning on five hits, three of which went for extra bases. Kean added runs in the second and third innings on a wild pitch and error to build an eight-run difference, and eventual final score.
Brown, Connolly, juniors
Zach Pidgeon and
Joey Randazzo, and sophomore
Trevor Thompson each had base hits for the Bombers. Brown also stole a base.
Senior
Jimmy Wagner struck out three hitters in 2.2 innings of relief, while junior
Brandon Diorio, sophomore
Logan Barer and freshman
Tyler Hill did not allow a run over the final five innings. All three struck out one batter each in their appearances.
The Bombers are back in action on March 24 for their home opener against Cortland at 3 p.m. to kick off a seven-game home stand.
Game One Box Score |
Game Two Box Score