ITHACA, N.Y. – The Bombers put up a valiant fight against the Ramapo Roadrunners in the NCAA Regional Final, but fell 3-2 in the seventh inning.
Sophomore
Hannah Anderson led the way for the Bombers, recording two hits and two RBI, including a two-run shot in the game. Classmate
Haley Congdon went six innings in the circle for the Bombers, allowing two runs on three hits and struck out three.
The Bomber bats made contact with the ball in the top of the first, but Ramapo's defense held strong to retire Ithaca in order.
Ramapo threatened in bottom of the first after Jackie Howarth reached base with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt by Ally Spellman. After Ithaca retired the next two batters, Nicole Mahoney reached base after a walk, giving the Roadrunners two baserunners. The Bombers forced the next batter into a fielder's choice to end the frame with both runners stranded.
The Roadrunners shut down Ithaca's bats in the top of the second, forcing the Bombers into two groundouts and a foul out to keep the game knotted at zero.
After allowing the leadoff Roadrunner on base after a hit by pitch, Congdon and the rest of the Bomber defense shut Ramapo down, leaving Kristen Ruggiero at second.
The Bombers got their first baserunner of the game with one down in the top of the third after freshman
Rebecca DiSerio was hit by a pitch, but a fielder's choice and pop out ended the inning before Ithaca could push any runs across.
Ithaca shut down Ramapo in the bottom of the third inning, sitting the Roadrunners down in order. Congdon picked up her second strikeout of the game in the frame, getting Harper Patsko swinging.
The Bombers made their way onto the board in the fourth inning after Anderson blasted a two-run shot to left center field. Senior
Jessie Fleck broke up Erin Fitzsimmons's no-hit bid, singling up the middle to start the frame. A sacrifice bunt and groundout advanced her to third base and she made her way across the plate on Anderson's home run, her fourth of the season.
Shannon Cox broke up Congdon's no-hit bid in the bottom of the fourth inning with a line drive single up the middle, but Ithaca was able to retire the final two batters to keep its 2-0 lead.
Freshman
Emily Holden led off the top of the fifth with a hit by pitch, but Ramapo shut the Bomber bats down, forcing two lineouts and a pop out to leave her stranded at first.
Ramapo tried to get some offense going in the bottom of the frame after Nicole Hernandez singled into the 5-6 hole. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt laid down by Sisi Machinski. Howarth then walked to give the Roadrunners two runners on with one out, but Congdon came back firing, forcing a fly out and getting Patsko swinging on a 3-2 count to hold onto the 2-0 lead.
Brown and Anderson pitched in hits for the Bombers in the top of the sixth inning, but Ramapo's defense held strong, with Fitzsimmons getting the final out of the frame with a strikeout.
Ramapo tied it up at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning after the team loaded the bases with no outs. Mahoney kicked off the inning with a walk, followed by a single to center field by Cox to give Ramapo two runners on. A throwing error on a fielder's choice left everyone safe and loaded the bases.
Grace Brennan came up to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to center field, allowing Cox to advance to third and Mahoney to score. Cox ended up crossing the plate on a wild pitch, tying the game at 2-2. The Bomber defense got the final two outs on a fly out and a groundout to limit any further damage.
The Bombers had a chance to score in the top of the seventh after a fielder's choice and single put sophomores
Annie Cooney and
Nikkey Skuraton on base, but Ramapo was able to get Fleck to groundout to end the threat.
The bottom of the seventh saw a battery change for Ithaca, with freshman
Shannon Grage coming in to pitch and sophomore
Alex Kimmel coming in to catch. Howarth led off the inning with a double down the left field line and she moved 60 more feet after Spellman grounded out. Back-to-back intentional walks to Patsko and Mahoney loaded the bases with one out. Cox recorded an infield single to the pitcher, which allowed Howarth to score the winning run.
Ithaca finished its 2017 season with a 33-12 record and an Empire 8 regular season championship.