PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team took down Stevens Institute of Technology, 9-1, in the first round of the Empire 8 Conference Championship on Thursday at Dugan Yard on the campus of St. John Fisher College. Ithaca improves to 25-14 on the season, while Stevens falls to 26-14.

The Bombers pounded out 16 hits and used seven shutout innings from senior John Prendergast to come away with the opening round victory.

Prendergast gave up just two hits over the seven frames with three strikeouts and no walks. Nearly identical to his complete game shutout of Elmira College just five days ago, Prendergast needed only 71 pitches to earn his fifth win of the season.

Ithaca plated the first run of the game in the third on a groundout by junior Trevor Thompson with senior Zach Cole in scoring position. Cole led off the inning with a single through the left side, moved up to second on a base hit by freshman Webb Little and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

The Bombers increased their lead to 4-0 in the fourth on three hits and an error. The rally started as freshman Matt Carey reached base on the error. After a single by junior Ryan Henchey, sophomore Domenic Boresta drove in Carey on a groundout. A passed ball allowed Henchey to scamper home from third base, and then freshman Adam Gallagher crossed on an RBI single by W. Little.

Four more runs came home for the Bombers in the seventh as back-to-back doubles from Carey and Henchey started things off. A failed pick-off at second and a wild pitch brought in Henchey for the sixth run. Following that, Boresta drew a walk and raced around on a triple by Gallagher, and a sacrifice fly by Cole capped of the frame.

Gallagher stroked a solo homerun in the top of the ninth for the Bombers final run of the game.

Freshman Andrew Bailey tossed the eighth and gave up a hit with a strikeout. Junior Logan Barer finished off the contest in the ninth.

W. Little and Cole each collected three hits on the afternoon, while Henchey, Gallagher, Carey, juniorJosh Savacool and freshman Sam Little all notched two hits.

The Bombers will take on Utica College tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. for a trip to the Empire 8 final. Utica defeated top-seed St. John Fisher, 7-3, in the first game of the day.

Fisher and Stevens meet up for an elimination game at 10 a.m. with the winner advancing to a 4 p.m. matchup later in the day.