Tim Locastro hit two home runs in the Bombers' 5-2 win over Millsaps. Photo by Larry Radloff for Ithaca athletics More photos for this game

By Ryan Smith
for D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- It was a solid day all around for the Ithaca Bombers as they avoided elimination with a 5-2 victory over the Millsaps Majors behind a solid pitching performance from John Prendergast and a big day at the plate from Tim Locastro.

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Prendergast, the Ithaca starter, was able to hold the Majors to just one run in 7.1 innings as he worked himself out of jams and stranded nine Millsaps base runners. 

“I tried to minimize,” Prendergast said. “I tried not to walk anyone or try not to hit anyone ... I tried to make the big pitch when it counts and keep the ball in play and let the defense take care of it.” 

Millsaps, who managed only one run in Friday’s loss against Southern Maine, struggled to bring runners home again Saturday.

“We moved our order around,” Millsaps coach Jim Page said. “I’m not real big on that but we took [Kevin] Wall from the six spot and put him up in the two-hole, thinking we need an icebreaker real quick so we can get on our roll but we just couldn’t.” 

Ithaca got off to a quick start at the plate when Locastro, a D3baseball.com All-American, blasted a solo home run over the left field wall to give the Bombers an early 1-0 advantage after just two batters.

“Christian [Brown] did a great job working the count and getting a lot of pitches,” Locastro said. “I saw all the pitches [Keith Shumaker] had. He hung a curveball and I was able to hit it out.”

The quick start set the tone for the rest of the day for the Bombers at the plate.

“It put us on the board early,” Ithaca coach George Valesente said. “It sends the message that we are going to be aggressive and get after it.” 

Ithaca tacked on another run in the top of the third when Brown touched home on a stand-up double from third baseman Colby Gee.

The Bombers extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth with an Andrew Turner ground out to short the scored Matt Connolly. 

Millsaps stranded four runners in the first three innings before getting its best opportunity of the day in the bottom of the fourth when the Majors had the bases jammed with only one away. A successful Jerrod Myers bunt scored Isaac Glenn to make it 3-1. Prendergast killed the Millsaps rally by striking out Stephen Gates and Wall to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Gates dropped a routine pop up by Connolly in foul territory down the first base line. In the same at-bat, Connolly legged out an infield single to third. A Brown single brought Connolly home to put the Bombers up 4-1. 

Locastro blasted his second homer of the day off of Millsaps reliever Will Elmore in the top of the ninth.

The junior from Auburn, N.Y., went 2-for-5 on the day with a pair of solo home runs.

The Majors got one back in the bottom of the ninth but it wasn’t enough as Ithaca held on to win.

Shumaker went six innings for the Majors, giving up four runs on eight hits but was able to keep Millsaps in the game, not allowing Ithaca any big innings.

Millsaps finished the 2013 season with 38 victories and made its first appearance in the championship.

“When you have never been somewhere before we are all a little confident and a little cocky and we think ‘Hey, we can do this,' ” Page said. “Now when you get here this is awesome, great baseball and we definitely belong and we belonged before. I think our guys this year will work a little harder in the offseason.”

Shumaker said the team had an excellent season and was proud of what the Majors accomplished.

“We put in a ton of hard work,” Shumaker said. “Our pitchers did a lot of stuff, our pitching staff was greatly improved from last year ... It feels a little empty-handed to be leaving right now but we worked our butts off and it feels great.”

Ithaca advances to play at 3:30 p.m. CT Sunday against the loser of the Saturday night UW-Stevens Point and Kean game.

Millsaps news conference

Ithaca news conference