The Ithaca College baseball team played their first game at Freeman Field this season on April 1. In a game that lasted 10 innings, the Bombers came up on top 4–3 against the St. John Fisher University Cardinals to extend their win streak to six games.
For the Bombers, first-year student left-hand pitcher Danny Drotos started the game on the mound for the first time in his collegiate career. In the bottom of the first inning, junior center fielder Collin Feeney, batting first in the lineup, blasted a double to right center field before advancing to home plate giving the Bombers the first lead of the game at 1–0.
Drotos started the first two innings with no runners on base, but struggled in the third, allowing four straight hits resulting in a 2–1 Cardinal lead. However, Drotos quickly got his head back in the game, only allowing one hit through the next three innings.
Despite a scoreless 4th and 5th inning for both teams, the Bombers were able to get back on the board in the 6th inning after junior second baseman Riley Brawdy hit a single down the right field gap to send senior right fielder Colin Shashaty home tying the game at 2–2.
In the 7th inning, sophomore right-hand pitcher Conor Burns stepped up on the mound for the Bombers and did not disappoint, not allowing any runs through his first three innings pitched. To start the 10th inning, the Cardinals were able to score after a dysfunctional play. Senior third baseman James Murphy hit a single to right field and trapped two runners at third. At the end of the play, Murphy was tagged out at first, but advanced a runner to home plate to give the Cardinals a 3–2 lead.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, after senior left-fielder Louis Fabbo was walked, sophomore designated hitter Matt Curtis sent Fabbo’s pinch runner, sophomore outfielder Colin Dunn, to third base off a double down the left field foul line. On the next pitch, first-year student pinch hitter Camden Laney was intentionally walked to leave the bases loaded. On a 3–2 count, Shashaty was walked to send Dunn home and to tie the game at 3–3. The next batter, senior shortstop Ethan Rothstein, hit a walk off single to center field ending in a 4–3 Bombers win to make the dugout and bleachers scream with joy.
Despite being in a position that holds much pressure, Rothstein said he wasn’t feeling any nerves at the plate.
“Honestly, no,” Rothstein said. “I’ve been there for like four years now, I was ready for the ball, and I’d know [Shashaty] would get the job done in front of me.”
Additionally, Rothstein said it was great to win at Freeman Field for the first time this season
“It’s great to be at home and it’s always great to win,” Rothstein said. “I’m just happy with the way it went down.”
When speaking on continuing the team’s six game win streak, Shashaty said what makes it possible is the team’s closeness and how anyone on the team can be the deciding factor.
“Well first off, we got to get some rest, we’re a little banged up,” Shashaty said. “But, I mean, it’s the little things. This game is so special because someone can always have a day. One day it’s me. One day it’s [Rothstein]. One day it’s someone else. We’re just a bunch of really close friends that are playing baseball and I think that’s the best way to describe it.”
With the win, the Bombers record goes to 14–4 on the season. For their next matchup, the Bombers will face the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers 3 p.m. April 5 in Rochester, New York. The game will be followed by a doubleheader against the Tigers at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. April 6 at Freeman Field.
