HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 5, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team dropped its Empire 8 Conference opener in 12 innings to Ithaca College, 5-4, at Dobbelaar Field on Saturday evening and fell in Game Two, 5-1. Stevens is now 10-6 overall and 0-2 in the Empire 8, while Ithaca is 13-4, 2-0 and has won nine straight games.

Game One: Ithaca 5, Stevens 4 (12 innings)

The Bombers won the marathon opener, scheduled for seven innings, on a solo homerun in the top of the 12th by John Stanley.

Junior lefty Peirce Marston (Silver Spring, Md.) earned the starting nod in Game One and began his outing with two strikeouts in the top of the first inning. Marston lasted 3.1 innings and was touched up for six hits and three earned runs but struck out three batters in a no decision.

Ithaca jumped ahead in the top of the second with two runs on three hits. Stephen Yanchus drove in the first run on a hot shot to third base that got past sophomore Nicholas Sieber (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and another run tried to score but junior Ryan Mannello (Staten Island, N.Y.) threw the runner out at the plate. The Bombers' other run came on a double steal with a first-and-third situation.

Mannello has recorded three outfield assists in the past two games.

The Bombers went up, 3-0, after their at bat in the third on an RBI single from Trevor Thompson that plated Colby Gee. Gee led off the frame on a base hit to center then stole second to move into scoring position.

Stevens was able to solve Ithaca's starter, John Prendergast, in the fifth inning with two runs. The Ducks loaded the bases after a single from freshman Bret Viola (Carmel, N.Y.), a walk by junior Marc Calleo (Bayville, N.J.) and hit by pitch from senior Curt Lowenstein (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) with one out. Sieber then singled to center to drive in Viola and Calleo came home on an RBI fielder's choice by junior Brian Hennelly (Holbrook, N.Y.). A third run was robbed by Ithaca third baseman Matt Connolly on a leaping catch on a live drive from senior Dan Allen (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) to end the inning.

Prendergast entered the game with a 0.34 earned-run average over 26.2 innings pitched.

The Ducks tied the ballgame up in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double from Viola that brought freshman Harrison Kaye (North Brunswick, N.J.) home. Kaye entered the game as a pinch runner after freshman Zeph Walters (Diamond Bar, Calif.) reached on a two-out base hit.

The opener went to extra innings, and in the top of the eighth, Ithaca scored once after it loaded the bases with no outs. Ithaca's rally began with a double from Tim Henry and an intentional walk to Gee. The Bombers' then packed the bases on an attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into a fielder's choice with a throw to third but an out was not recorded. After another fielder's choice, Luke Stark singled to right field to drive in Gee.

The Ducks evened the score in their half of the eighth on a pair of errors by the Bomber defense. Sophomore Jayson Yano (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) reached second on an errant throw from shortstop and then an error at first base which rolled out of play on a groundball by Mannello allowed Yano to score.

In the ninth, Ithaca put a runner on third after a single and two-base error. A fly ball to rightfield set up a sac fly but Hennelly gunned out the Bombers runner at the plate to preserve the tie.

Junior Gary Boardman (Staten Island, N.Y.) held the Bombers hitters off balance over 4.2 innings of work and allowed just two hits with an earned run. Boardman fanned six and walked two before being replaced by sophomore Daniel McIntyre (Lakeway, Texas). McIntyre suffered the loss but threw a solid four innings with four strikeouts. McIntyre gave up just two hits, but the difference was the homerun in the 12th.

Game Two: Ithaca 5, Stevens 1

The Ducks only recorded three hits in the night cap and their first of Game Two came in the fourth inning on a double from Mannello.

Ithaca produced the first real scoring threat of the night cap by loading the bases in the top of the fifth. The Bombers scored twice on back-to-back hit by pitches with two outs. In the frame, Ithaca recorded one hit, a walk and was hit by three pitches.

The Bombers scored twice more in the sixth on a pair of errors and a sacrifice bunt to take a 4-0 lead.

Stevens got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly from freshman Nolan Bennett (Chatsworth, Calif.) that brought Yano across the plate. Yano reached base on an infield single then advanced to second on a throwing error. He then moved up to third on a groundout to set up the sac fly.

In the ninth, Ithaca tacked on an insurance run on a wild pitch.

Sophomore Greg Jakusik (The Woodlands, Texas) started Game Two and was dealt the loss. Jakusik labored through five innings of work and allowed five hits, four runs (three earned) and struck out five in 103 pitches throw. The southpaw ran into trouble throughout the start with five hit batters and two walks.

Sophomore Ryan Patterson (Staten Island, N.Y.) tossed two hitless innings with a strikeout, while Viola went 1.2 and gave up one run on four walks and three punch outs. Freshman Will Korosec (Cream Ridge, N.J.) threw the final 1/3 of an inning.

Bombers' starter Benji Parkes threw a complete game and fanned five batters with no walks and an unearned run. Parkes recorded 15 of the 27 outs via groundballs.

The two conference foes square off again tomorrow for a double dip beginning at 1 p.m. Game time was originally scheduled for 12 p.m. but has been pushed back an hour.

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