Coach Pallozzi Earns 800th Win at IC
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team opened the home portion of its schedule today, sweeping its doubleheader against Nazareth College.
Head Coach
Deb Pallozzi earned her 800th win at Ithaca College after the Bombers claimed the first game, 5-2. The Bombers picked up its league-leading fourth E8 win in the second game, winning 2-0.
Game 1
Ithaca pushed five runs across on eight hits in the first game, topping the Golden Flyers 5-2.
The Bombers got out of the top of the first inning after allowing a Sarah Papponetti single down the left field line with one down. Sophomore pitcher
Haley Congdon came back from the hit with a strikeout and a pop out to end the frame with no damage.
Ithaca looked to strike in the bottom of the first inning after senior
Jessie Fleck got on base after a walk. The senior advanced on a groundout and wild pitch, but the Golden Flyers were able to get sophomore
Alex Wright swinging to end the inning.
Nazareth pushed two runs across the board in the top of the second inning thanks to a leadoff double down the left field line by pitcher Nicole White. Meghan Barry came up to the plate and reached base on a muffed throw made on her sacrifice bunt attempt, allowing White to score from second. A wild pitch and an issued walk gave the Golden Flyers runners on first and second with no outs in the frame.
The Bombers were able to get the lead runner on a fielder's choice and forced the next batter to fly out, but Kristen Simmons singled to second, scoring Mertens from second and giving Nazareth a 2-0 lead.
Freshman
Abby Shields singled to lead off the bottom of the second, but White recorded back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to end the frame with no damage done by the Ithaca bats.
Ithaca forced the Golden Flyers to go three-and-out in the top of the third to keep its deficit at two.
The Bombers were able to tie the game in the bottom of the third inning thanks in part to a leadoff walk to
Nikkey Skuraton. The sophomore advanced to second after
Allie Colleran smoked a single down the left field line to give Ithaca runners at first and second with no outs. Fleck moved them both 60 feet after a perfectly laid down sacrifice bunt.
Vanessa Brown then recorded Ithaca's first RBI of the day after a 12-pitch at bat, where she grounded out to the shortstop, scoring Skuraton and advancing Colleran to third. During the next at bat, Colleran scored on a pick-off attempt after Nazareth's catcher overthrew the third baseman. The Golden Flyers forced an Ithaca foul-out to end the frame.
Nazareth went three-up, three-down in the top of the fourth inning, keeping the game knotted at two apiece.
Ithaca threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners at second and third after sophomore
Ellie Murray and Skuraton both singled, but Nazareth forced Colleran into a groundout to end the frame.
The Bombers forced Nazareth to go three-and-out for the third consecutive inning, keeping the score tied at two.
The bottom of the fifth was a big one for Ithaca, giving the Bombers a 4-2 lead. Back-to-back singles by Fleck and Brown to start out the bottom of the fifth helped Ithaca push across its third run of the game. Wright came up to the plate and reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Fleck and earning her first RBI of the game.
Freshman
Lindsey Keller pinch ran for Wright and advanced to second on a groundout by Shields. Freshman
Shannon Grage came up to the plate and smoked a ball to the left field fence, scoring Keller on an RBI double.
Ithaca retired the first two Golden Flyers on back-to-back pop outs in the top of the sixth before allowing a walk. The free pass would not cause any damage though, with Skuraton showing her range on a ground ball to second.
The Bombers extended their lead over Nazareth in the bottom of the sixth inning after freshman
Haley Gaffney walked and scored on an RBI-double by Fleck.
Congdon struck out two of the final three batters faced in the top of the seventh inning to earn her sixth win on the year.
The Bombers outhit the Golden Flyers eight to three, with Fleck leading the way with two hits on the day and an RBI. Congdon went the distance, allowing three hits and striking out six.
Game 2
The Bombers took the second game 2-0 after recording eight hits to stay undefeated in conference play.
Ithaca started the second game out on a high note, forcing Nazareth to go three-and-out, including freshman
Emily Holden's first strikeout of the day.
Brown recorded a single with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Golden Flyers recorded the final out of the frame on a Wright groundout.
Nazareth loaded the bases in the top of the second inning with no outs, but the Bombers were able to get out the jam thanks in part to a double-play ball, getting the batter and the lead runner at home. With runners on second and third with two outs, Nazareth's White attempted to score on a ball that got passed catcher
Frankie-Ann McCauley, but the freshman was able to connect with Holden to get the out at the play and end the frame with no runs scored.
Ithaca got on the board in the bottom of the second inning after Shields lead off the frame with a single to right field. She was able to advance 60 feet after a Nazareth wild pitch and scored on a Holden RBI-double to left center field to give Ithaca the 1-0 advantage.
The Bombers once against forced Nazareth to go three-and-out in the top of the third inning, with Holden picking up two more strikeouts.
Colleran led off the bottom of the third inning with a double, but Nazareth's pitcher Rachel Mertens caused the Bombers to lineout twice and to fly out once to end the frame with Colleran stuck on second.
Nazareth had an opportunity to score in the top of the fourth inning, but Ithaca was able to strand two Golden Flyers on base. Papponetti kicked off the frame with a single to left center field that was followed by a pop out and Mongelli single through the right side. With one down and runners at first and second, the Bombers were able to force a foul out and groundout to keep their lead at 1-0.
The Bombers added another run in the bottom of the second inning after a Shields single to second base. Gaffney followed up the play with a single of her own to left field, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Murray got her name in the RBI column, singling to center field and scoring Shields from second, giving Ithaca a 2-0 lead.
Ithaca looked as if it would blow the frame open with the bases loaded and no outs, but a double-play off of an infield fly ball stifled the team's momentum. Colleran ended the inning with a fielder's choice to leave two Bombers on base.
The Bombers forced Nazareth into two pop outs in the top of the fifth inning and Holden picked up her fourth strikeout of the day to go three-up, three-down in the frame.
Nazareth returned the favor to Ithaca, forcing the Bombers into two pop outs and a groundout in the bottom of the fifth to keep its deficit at two.
Ithaca forced Nazareth into its second straight three-and-out inning in the top of the sixth, while Holden earned her fifth strikeout of the game.
Gaffney singled to the shortstop with one down in the inning, hoping to get something going for the Bombers, but a fielder's choice by Murray and a fly out ended the frame with one left on base.
With their backs against the wall, Nazareth could not get the bats going, recording three consecutive groundouts to end the game.
Ithaca scored two runs on eight hits, outhitting the Golden Flyers eight-four in the second game. Shields and Gaffney led the Bomber way with two hits apiece and Murray and Holden pitched in one RBI each. Holden pitched all seven innings for Ithaca, allowing four hits and striking out five.