ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College softball team dropped a pair of Liberty League contests to Ithaca College on Saturday afternoon at Kostrinsky Field, falling by the scores of 7-1 and 3-1.
Game One: Ithaca 7, Union 1
Ithaca jumped out to an early lead in game one and never looked back, scoring six times in the first three innings on the way to a 7-1 win.
After a scoreless top of the first, Ithaca scored twice in bottom of the first thanks to an RBI double by Haley White and a run-scoring single by Haley Gaffney. A solo homer by Gabby Laccona in the second gave the Bombers a 3-0 lead, followed by two home runs in the third inning that doubled the Ithaca lead after three.
Union got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, as sophomore
Tara Hartnett led off with a single and eventually came home on an RBI single by senior
Stuart Buxton.
However, that was all the offense Union managed against Beth Fleming, who allowed one run on four hits in seven innings. Senior
Makayla Koehler took the loss for the Dutchwomen, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings.
Game Two: Ithaca 3, Union 1
Union jumped out to an early lead in game two, but Ithaca scored three runs in the final three innings to escape with a 3-1 victory.
After a scoreless first inning, Koehler launched a solo homer to left field to lead off the second inning and put Union ahead.
Sophomore
Amanda Granato kept the potent Bomber offense in check through the first four innings, conceding only two hits. But Ithaca broke through in the fifth inning, as Tava Kasper delivered a bases-loaded single to tie the score and a Laccona sacrifice fly put the Bombers ahead. After Union left two runners on base in the top of the sixth, Ithaca added an insurance run in the bottom half to account for the final score.
Granato suffered the loss for Union, allowing two runs on just three hits in 4.1 innings, while senior
Catie Raeter allowed one run on three hits in 1.2 frames. Ithaca's Riley Piromalli tossed seven innings to earn the win, giving up only one run on four hits.
Union and Ithaca are slated to complete their four-game weekend series tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m. at Alexander Field.
