NORFOLK, VA. – The Ithaca College baseball program split its season-opening doubleheader at Virginia Wesleyan College's Kenneth R. Perry Field on Saturday. Ithaca shutout Brockport in the opener, 9-0, and then fell to Virginia Wesleyan, 5-4, on a walk-off base hit in the second game of the day.

GAME ONE: Ithaca 9, Brockport 0

The Bombers opened up the season on a strong note by blanking Brockport, 9-0. Ithaca pounded out 12 hits, including a homerun from sophomore Sam Little in the seventh inning, and rode the arms of sophomores Jake Binder and Zach Zottola for the combined shutout.

Binder, in his first start and win as a Bomber, tossed seven innings and scattered three hits with four strikeouts. Zottola fired the final two innings and fanned one.

IC went up 3-0 in the second inning as sophomore Jake Generali drove in two runs on a shot to centerfield, and then classmate Matt Carey crossed the plate on a throwing error. Senior Ryan Henchey and S. Little scored the other two runs.

In the third inning, sophomore Adam Gallagher belted a two-run single to left field that brought in S. Little and sophomore Webb Little to give Ithaca a 5-0 lead.

Ithaca's lead grew to 7-0 through fifth innings as Henchey notched an RBI single to bring in senior Trevor Thompson and then Gallagher earned his third RBI of the contest after Henchey stole second to move into scoring position.

After the S. Little solo shot in the seventh, the Bombers capped off the nine-run output in the eighth inning on a run-scoring single off the bat of Thompson that pushed home senior Josh Savacool.

Gallagher paced the offense with a 3-for-5 opener and three RBI, while Thompson, S. Little and W. Little all recorded two hits apiece.

Carey and junior Domenic Boresta tallied the other two hits in the game for Ithaca.

GAME TWO: Virginia Wesleyan 5, Ithaca 4

The Bombers trailed the Marlins, 2-0, after the first inning and then Virginia Wesleyan added another run in the third. Ithaca would get on the board in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Henchey with Savacool just 90 feet away.

Ithaca took the lead in the sixth with three runs on two hits. W. Little reached on a hit by pitch and then Thompson found his way on with an error. S. Little drove in both runners with a double to right field and he would come home on a two-base hit from Henchey on the ensuing at bat.

The Marlins walked-off with the win in the bottom of the ninth after Ithaca was forced to intentionally walk the bases loaded with one out. Virginia Wesleyan's first run of the frame came on a triple which set up back-to-back free passes for a potential double play. A single up the middle ended the contest.

Sophomore Jack Morello earned the start for Ithaca and did not factor into the decision after seven solid innings of work. Morello struck out nine batters to just one walk and gave up three runs on four hits.

W. Little took the loss in 1.1 innings of relief. He gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts.

S. Little went 1-for-2 with a run scored, two RBI and two walks, while Henchey was 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Ithaca and Virginia Wesleyan square off again tomorrow at 11 a.m. for the final game of the Bombers' three-game road trip.