TROY, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team escaped defeat in the opening game of the Liberty League Championship at RPI as the Bombers came away with an 8-7 victory over Union on a dropped fly ball in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ithaca is now 29-9 on the season and will move on to play Rochester tomorrow at 1 p.m.

The Garnet Chargers struck first with three runs in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run and an RBI double. Ithaca threatened to plate a run in the bottom half of the second by loading the bases but could not push a run across to remain down, 3-0.

IC loaded the bases once again in the bottom of the third on walks to Collin Feeney and Camden Laney, along with a hit by pitch to Louis Fabbo. Ethan McDonough made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly to center and then Tyler Pugliese followed with a two-run double down the left field line to tie the game.

Union regained the lead in the fourth as three straight hits resulted in two more runs to make it 5-3. Union's 7-8-9 hitters went 6-for-6 and accounted for five RBI, four runs and three extra base hits through four innings. They would finish the game by driving in all seven runs in the game with eight of the team's 10 hits.

The Bombers once again tied the game up at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by Colin Shashaty just one pitch after Ethan Rothstein was thrown out at third base on a base hit by Riley Brawdy.

In the bottom of the seventh, Louis Fabbo led off with a hit by pitch and then Matt Curtis reached on a two-out base hit to force a pitching change. Union plunked Pugliese on the first delivery after the change to load the bases, but a strikeout kept the Bombers off the board.

The Garnet Chargers answered by loading the bases in the top of the eighth with one out and capitalized with a two-run single to right to go back ahead, 7-5.

Ithaca put runners on the corners in the bottom of the ninth on singles by Fabbo and McDonough with one out, and pinch runner Colin Dunn stole second to put two runners in scoring position. A walk to Curtis loaded the bases for Pugliese and catcher's interference brought in a run to make it 7-6. Brawdy stepped to the plate with two outs and won the game with a line drive to right-center, which was dropped, and two runners scored.

John Griffin earned the win in an inning of relief with one strikeout. Colin Leyner started for IC and allowed just runs on nine hits in 7.0 innings of work, while Sean Kelly tossed one inning of relief.

The winner of tomorrow's game will advance to the Liberty League Final on Saturday. The loser will play against on Friday at 4 p.m. in an elimination game.