CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team will play for its second straight regional championship tomorrow as the Bombers defeated No. 22 Cortland, 5-3, on Saturday at Wallace Field. Ithaca is now 30-14 on the season and will need one win tomorrow against the winner of Cortland and Eastern Connecticut State.

The Bombers got on the board first to take a 1-0 lead with a two-out single up the middle from Gil Merod that plated Colin Shashaty in the bottom of the second inning. Shashaty reached on a lead off single and moved into scoring position on a balk.

Cortland threatened in the top of the third inning by putting two on with two out on a hit by pitch and walk, but Colin Leyner got out of the jam with a fielder's choice to second base.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Bombers extended their lead to 3-0. Fabbo got things started with a one-out walk and Garrett Callaghan followed with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners. Matt Fabian then delivered an RBI double down the left field line to plate Fabbo and Shashaty laid down a bunt single to bring in Callaghan.

Cortland got back into the game in the top of the fourth as Mat Bruno led off with a solo home run to left to make it 3-1. The Red Dragons had a chance for another run after a two-out single put runners on the corners, but a pinch hitter grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Bombers loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out as Merod led off with a walk and Ethan Rothstein doubled to left on a ball that hit the top of the fence, missing a two-run home by inches. After an out, Fabbo drew a walk to fill the bases, but Callaghan grounded into an inning-ending double play and IC was unable to score a run.

Cortland used that momentum to load the bases in the top of the fifth inning on three straight singles with one out. The Red Dragons made it 3-2 on a sacrifice fly to center field for the second out of the frame and tied it at 3-3 with a single through the right side.

IC regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 4-3, on a fielding error at third base. Merod sent a hard grounder to third and it was misplayed, allowing Mike Nauta to score from second.

Leyner held onto Ithaca's lead in the top of the seventh with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out, and the Bombers went back ahead by two runs, 5-3, in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double to left-center by Riley Brawdy that brought in Fabian. IC then had two runners in scoring position with one out but could not bring in another run.

In the top of the ninth inning, Leyner finished off the complete game to improve to 8-4 on the season with two groundouts and a fielder's choice to send IC to tomorrow's title game against either Cortland or Eastern Connecticut State. Over the final four innings, Leyner allowed just two hits and did not issue a walk.

Game time is tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow morning.