SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team picked up a win over top-seeded University of Rochester in the Liberty League Tournament at Skidmore College's Castle Diamond on Thursday. The Bombers overcame a 3–0 deficit for the 7–4 comeback win in its first game of the double-elimination championship.
Kyle Lambert controlled most of the game on the mound despite allowing a three-run homer early in the game. Lambert tossed 8.1 innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits with three strikeouts to improve to 6-2 on the season.
The early runs in the bottom of the second came from Colby Cruiser blasting a three-run home run. The Yellowjackets put their first two batters on base with a single and a double to set up the big blast for a 3–0 lead.
The Bombers responded with a run in the top of the third inning to cut the Yellowjackets' lead to two. Collin Feeney and Louis Fabbo hit back-to-back one-out singles with Feeney advancing to third. Feeney came home on a wild pitch to make it 3–1, but Garret Callaghan roped a line drive right at the second baseman and the Bombers were doubled up on the bases to end the inning.
Lambert bounced back in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Lambert stranded a runner in the third and fourth, then tossed a one-two-three inning in the fifth to keep the Bombers in the game.
Ithaca tied it up at 3–all with a big sixth inning. Matt Fabian was hit by a pitch while Colin Shashaty and Mike Nauta each singled to load the bases with one out. Riley Brawdy came through with an infield single to bring Fabian home. The Bombers tied it with a sacrifice fly by Gil Merod to bring in Shashaty.
The breakthrough in favor of the Bombers came in the top of the seventh as they took a 5–3 lead. Feeney led off the inning with a single and Callaghan followed suit to put runners on first and third. Shashaty gave the Bombers the lead with a two-out squeeze bunt, placing it perfectly toward third base to score Feeney. Nauta then came through with a clutch single through the left side to score Callaghan from second.
The Yellowjackets pulled back within a run in the bottom of the seventh, 5-4, but Lambert worked his way out of jam to maintain the lead. Rochester got its fourth run due to a throwing error on a stolen base attempt, which put runners on second and third from another error. Lambert forced a sharp groundball to Fabian at third, who calmly made the play at first. Callaghan made the third out in foul territory to strand a pair of Yellowjackets in scoring position.
Lambert came back out in the eighth inning, forcing two quick groundouts. He then walked a batter but forced a flyout to send the game to the ninth.
The Bombers earned two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to take the final 7–4 lead of the day. Shashaty and Nauta each singled and stole a base to put runners on second and third with no outs to set up an RBI double from Riley Brawdy, which brought in Shashaty. Nauta came home on another sacrifice fly by Merod to take the three-run lead.
With the three-run lead, Lambert came out for the ninth to earn the first out. Reliever Matt Chase replaced Lambert with one out and one runner on. He forced a double play on his second pitch to earn the save and close out the game.
Nauta and Shashaty each had a three-hit game, bringing in one RBI each. Merod picked up two RBIs on two sacrifice flies, and Brawdy earned two RBIs on two hits in the ballgame. The Bombers finished with 16 hits with every batter earning a hit and only four strikeouts on the day.
The Bombers return to action on Friday (5/12) at 1 p.m., taking on the third-seeded Rochester Institute of Technology.