ENDWELL, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team earned a pair of Liberty League wins over Bard College on Sunday at Maine-Endwell High School by 13-5 scores to improve to 19-7 on the season and 9-3 in Liberty League play. The first win of the twin bill also marked the 100th career victory at Ithaca College for head coach David Valesente.
GAME ONE: Ithaca 13, Bard 5
Bard threatened to score in the top of the first inning as the Raptors placed runners on the corners with one out, but Danny Drotos got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.
IC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single through the right side by Matt Curtis. Collin Feeney scored on the hit as he led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.
The Raptors went ahead, 3-1, in the top of the second on three hits. After back-to-back singles and a hit by pitch, an error with the bases loaded allowed the first run to score. A base hit to left brought in the second run and the inning was capped off with a sacrifice fly to right.
The game went into a weather delay with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and play resumed after an hour and two minutes. It took only three pitches after the delay for the Bombers to score as Ethan McDonough ripped a double to left-center and Ethan Daddabbo laced a single to right-center to make it 3-2.
IC loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning on walks to Riley Brawdy and Curtis and a single by Nate Rodriguez, but a strikeout ended the threat and Bard remained ahead, 3-2.
The Bombers tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a lead-off solo home run to left-center by McDonough. Ithaca continued the inning and loaded the bases on an error and two singles. After a pitching change, IC took the lead, 4-3, on a wild pitch that allowed Nicholas Cutaia to score and then Louis Fabbo cleared the bases with a double to the gap to make it 7-3. Another run scored as Camden Laney drove in Fabbo with a double to cap off the six-run inning.
Bard pulled to within three runs, 8-5, in the top of the eighth with a two-run home.
The Bombers broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth with five runs to extend their lead to 13-5. Fabbo led off with a triple and Curits brought him home with a single to left for the first run of the inning, and the next four runs scored on walks or hit by pitch.
Dan Kellachan earned the victory in 4.0 innings of relief with three strikeouts and two earned runs on four hits. Danny Drotos started the game and tossed 4.0 innings, while Dan Allard finished off the ninth and had a strikeout.
GAME TWO: Ithaca 13, Bard 5 (8 innings)
Bard plated two runs in the top of the first inning on three hits, but the Raptors were also aided by two Ithaca errors.
IC got on the board in the bottom of the third as Laney sent a double down the left field line to score McDonough. The Bombers then had two runners in scoring position but lined into a double play to remain down by a run.
Bard loaded the bases in the top of the fourth but could not score as John Griffin struck the final batter out looking to keep it at a 2-1 game. The Bombers countered in the bottom of the fourth by loading the bases with one out and McDonough drove in a pair on a double to left to give IC a 3-2 lead.
IC plated four more runs in the fifth inning as two scored on a double by Tyler Pugliese and then he scored on an error to push the difference out to 6-2. Fabbo followed with a double down the line to drive in Rodriguez to make it 7-2.
The Bombers blew the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth as Laney scored on an error and then Brawdy belted a three-run homer to right to put IC up nine runs at 11-2. The inning continued with another homer from McDonough, this time a two-run shot to left-center with Rodriguez on base to extend the lead to 13-2.
Bard plated three runs in the top of the seventh on a bases loaded walk and infield single that scored a pair for the eventual 13-5 final.
The game was called in the eighth due to darkness.
Sean Kelly was the winning pitcher of record in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts. John Griffin started on the mound and went 4.0 innings, allowing six hits and two unearned runs with three strikeouts. Bo Nicholson tossed the seventh inning in relief and Ben Landis threw the eighth.
Ithaca will host Oswego on Tuesday at 4 p.m.