ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Ithaca College softball team defeated the RPI Engineers 11-8 in the Bombers' first game of the 2026 Liberty League Championship tournament on Thursday afternoon. With the win, Ithaca will square off against top-seeded No. 24 University of Rochester at 10 a.m. on Friday.
In the first inning of the game, the Engineers took an early lead after getting two runners in scoring position, Addison Shaffer hit a three-run home run to take the lead. Ithaca then cut its deficit to two in the bottom of the frame with Haley Petrucci launching a home run of her own into left center on the third pitch of the at-bat.
RPI added another run in the top of the second with a double to bring home the runner at first and give the Engineers a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, the Bombers took advantage of an RPI error as Sydney Miranda struck a double to bring home Kailen Winkelblech to make it 4-2. The following inning, the Bombers loaded the bases with a single, double, and a walk, which allowed Ava Rao to bring home another run with a fielder's choice.
In the fourth inning, the Bombers continued their rally as Miranda led off the inning by reaching first after getting hit by a pitch. Jessie Lopez then moved Miranda over with a sacrifice bunt. She then got to third on a throwing error from the outfield, before coming home on a two-out base hit from Madison Schoenenberger to tie the game, 4-4. Petrucci and Cate Murray followed with two more base hits and Ithaca took its first lead of the game, 5-4. Winkelblech then reached base on a throwing error and two more runs scored as the Bombers extended their lead to three (7-4).
In the fifth inning, the Engineers knotted the game at five-all with a run on a single into right field, plus two more unearned runs on a throwing error. The Bombers' bats stayed hot as they loaded the bases to start the inning with three consecutive singles. Pinch-runner Paige Cannon scored the first run of the inning when Anna Bello grounded out into a fielder's choice, which also put two runners in scoring position. Petrucci then tallied her fourth hit of the day to bring home two more runs with a single up the middle to make it a 10-7 game.
The Engineers got one run back in the sixth inning. After being issued a two-out walk, they scored an unearned run on a dropped fly ball in the outfield. Ithaca added another run of their own with Ava Rao homering to right center field, which lifted the Bombers to the eventual 11-8 victory.
Haley Petrucci went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBI, while the Bombers collected 13 hits in the game. Meanwhile, Madison Collins and Taylor Brunn combined to throw 5.1 innings in relief, allowing only one earned run. Brunn earned her fourth save of the season, collecting five strikeouts in two innings of work.
The winner of Friday's game between Rochester and Ithaca will move onto the championship game on Saturday at 12 p.m. The loser will square off against the winner of RPI/St. Lawrence tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.