ROCHESTER, NY – Visiting Ithaca combined for thirty three hits in two games to sweep Nazareth Saturday in each squads opening conference games. The Bombers opened with a 12-1 win in five innings, before closing with a 19-13 game two victory.
Nazareth drops to 9-7 overall and 0-2 in Empire 8 play, while Ithaca moves to 13-5 and 2-0, respectively.
Game 1: Ithaca 12, Nazareth 1 (5 innings)The Bombers were able to push one along in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Nazareth loaded the bases but was unable to do any damage.
In the second, Ithaca loaded the bases to start the inning. The Bombers scored four runs before the Golden Flyers were able to record an out. In all, Ithaca padded its lead to 8-0 in the frame, including scoring two unearned runs.
The score would remain that way until the Bombers hit two, two-run shots in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Nazareth eventually got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homer from
Morgan Ross.
Nicole White went four innings on the mound, allowing 10 runs (eight earned), while striking out two. She drops to 3-4 on the year.
Madison Zeis pitched the final inning, giving up two runs and striking out two batters.
Maureen Rogers was perfect 3-for-3, accounting for half of Nazareth's six hits in the game.
Game 2: Ithaca 19, Nazareth 13The Bombers left off where they started game one, scoring three runs in the opening inning, only to have Rogers launch a two-run shot to bring the score within 3-2.
After the visitors picked up one more run in the second, Nazareth responded with two home runs in the bottom.
Delaney St. George hit her first-career home run and
Sarah Papponetti hit a two-run shot to give Nazareth a 5-4 lead.
Trailing 6-5 in the third, Ross delivered her second home run of the day, this time a grand slam, to give Nazareth the lead at 9-6 edge.
That advantage was short-lived as the Bombers scored five in the fourth inning, including grand slam, to take the lead for good at 11-9.
Nazareth clawed back to within three runs at 14-11 in the sixth inning on Rogers' second two-run home run, however, a five run inning for the Bombers in the seventh provided a cushion to seal the win.
Danae Wetherbee homered in the final inning.
Rachel Mertens suffered the loss, pitching three innings, allowing 11 runs (eight earned) and striking out two.
Stephanie Mongelli pitched 2.2 innings, allowing three runs and mowing down two. Wetherbee closed the final 1.1 innings, surrendering five runs on five hits.
Ross and Rogers each had two hits to go along with four RBI in the game.
Nzareth returns to action on Wednesday when it will host SUNY Geneseo at 3 p.m. on Wednesday for a doubleheader.
