ITHACA, N.Y. – Ithaca fell to Ramapo in the winner's bracket game of the NCAA Tournament, meaning they will face the winner of Penn St. Berks and Susquehanna at 4 p.m.
Ithaca recorded two hits in the game, coming in the first inning from senior
Jessie Fleck and sophomore
Hannah Anderson.
The Bombers shut down Ramapo in the top of the first inning after the Roadrunners got a runner on after a walk. Congdon forced a foul out and a fly out to sophomore
Annie Cooney in center field to end the frame.
Ithaca notched two hits in the bottom of the first thanks to singles Fleck and Anderson. Fleck was caught stealing to pick up the second out of the frame and Anderson was stranded after a groundout by classmate
Alex Wright to end the inning.
Shannon Cox kicked off the top of the second with a smoked line drive single to just over Anderson's glove at shortstop. The Bomber defense retired the next two batters on pop outs, but the Roadrunners garnered another baserunner after Nicole Hernandez was hit by a pitch. Congdon got the next batter swinging though to end the frame with both runners stranded.
The Bombers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the second after three walks by Ramapo's pitcher Christina Brizek. The Roadrunners got out of the jam after forcing sophomore
Vanessa Brown into a groundout.
Ramapo broke through the scoreless streak, scoring two runs in the top of the third on two Ithaca errors. Jackie Howarth struck out to start the inning, but made it to first after a wild pitch on the final strike. Ally Spellman then singled to center field and Harper Patsko reached on a fielding error.
Nicole Mahoney came up to the plate next, reaching base on a fielder's choice, while two runs came in on a throwing error trying to cut down the run at the plate. Ithaca retired the final three batters of the inning to limit the damage at two runs.
Ithaca was retired in order in the bottom of the third inning on a groundout and two strikeouts.
Hernandez kicked off the top of the fourth with a single and advanced to second on a foul out, but was stranded after Congdon struck out Howarth and forced Spellman to pop out.
The bottom of the fourth looked very similar to the bottom of the third for the Bombers, with Ithaca going down in order on a pop out and two strikeouts.
Patsko led off the inning with a home run just inside of the foul pole in left field, putting Ramapo up 3-0 in the fifth frame. Congdon got Mahoney swinging, but after a walk to Cox, Ithaca brought freshman
Shannon Grage in to pitch. Grage recorded a fielder's choice and sophomore
Nikkey Skuraton caught a hard hit line drive at second to end the inning.
With one down in the bottom of the fifth, Skuraton reached base after a walk, but Brown grounded into a double play during the next at bat to end the frame.
Grage retired the side in the top of the sixth, striking out two consecutive batters and forced a groundout after the Howarth was hit with the ball out of the box. Ramapo returned the favor in the bottom of the sixth with a lineout and two groundouts.
Ramapo garnered baserunners in the top of the seventh inning, but two ground balls to Brown resulted in a groundout and double play to end the threat.
Freshman
Abby Shields kicked off the bottom of the seventh with a walk and advanced to second on Grage's groundout, but she was stranded after a fly out and groundout.
The Bombers are back in action this afternoon in an elimination game between the winner of Penn St. Berks and Susquehanna.