The Ithaca College softball team faced a rollercoaster of emotions April 4 in a doubleheader against the Union College Garnet Chargers. The Bombers entered the matchup with a 22-1 all-time record against the Garnet Chargers, with their last loss being in 2003. They defended their record with a 10-0, five-inning win in game one, but fell 2-1 to the Garnet Chargers in game two.
First Game:
After a rained-out game two against the SUNY Geneseo Knights on April 2, the Bombers were looking to sweep their first doubleheader since their spring break trip. The game started at a steady pace, with the Bombers gaining a run in the bottom of the first inning, and senior pitcher Anna Cornell keeping the Garnet Chargers scoreless, throwing six straight strikes.
During the bottom of the second, with runners on second and third, senior shortstop Sela Scheinman sent the ball flying into center field. The Garnet Chargers struggled to get a hold of it, resulting in two runs, with Scheinman adding a third as the next player stepped up to bat.
The Bombers found their groove by the third inning and graduate student center fielder Belle de Oliveira hit a single between the pitcher’s legs to bring home another run.
The next time Cornell stepped up to the mound, she pitched a ball and a strike before the batter made contact. Unphased, Cornell reached out and caught the ball as it flew down the middle, striking out the batter. The Garnet Chargers clawed their way into getting a player on base, but remained unable to get a run.
Having secured a 5-0 lead, the Bombers loosened up. Scheinman stole second during junior second baseman Cate Murray’s at-bat, and when Murray reached first on a fielder’s choice, Scheinman seemed to reenact a gag from a Chaplin film. She started sprinting toward third, and when the Garnet Chargers threw the ball to stop her, she became trapped in the middle. No one tried to tag her, and she seemed to call their bluff, daring them to try. At one point, Scheinman faked toward third to allow Murray to advance to second, and the next time the third baseman threw the ball, she saw her opportunity and slid safely into third. Scheinman scored during the next at-bat.
Four more runs followed, leaving the South Hill Squad up 10-0 at the bottom of the fourth. Cornell remained an unstoppable force, and the Bombers won by way of the mercy rule.
Second Game:
Both teams were energetic as the first inning started. Winning game one proved the Bombers had skill, but winning game two would prove they had stamina. The players cheered and exchanged high-fives as the starting line-up ran onto the field. Then, they hit a wall.
The first four innings had only three hits — one for the Bombers and two for the Garnet Chargers. Union sophomore shortstop Sam Rose got a hit when the Bombers fumbled the ball, forcing them to tag Rose instead of beat her to first. She got to first safely, but sophomore pitcher Mady Rowell struck out the next batter, ending the inning with no runs.
Although game two left the stats sheet lacking, the Bombers’ outfield was a force to be reckoned with. Junior right fielder Kailen Winkelblech caught two fly balls in a row, running to the edge of the diamond with confidence. Any hits by the Garnet Chargers in the first five innings seemed magnetized to the outfielders’ gloves.
The Garnet Chargers broke open the game in the top of the sixth, when they earned two runs off the same hit. The Bombers were unable to respond.
Down to the wire, the South Hill squad struggled to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. With one out on the board, junior designated hitter Ava Rao stepped up to the plate. The crowd chattered to each other as she missed her first two swings and let out a cheer as her third swing connected, expecting a single, or maybe a double. Conversation dropped when the ball kept flying until it was past the fence. The Bombers poured in from the dugout to swarm around Rao.
Although the South Hill squad was unable to earn another run and lost the game 2-1, head coach Kelly Robichaud said Rao’s home run invigorated the team.
“You want to look for a fight,” Robichaud said. “That’s what we did in the bottom of the seventh, and that’s pretty cool. The lights were bright, and [Rao] performed.”
Heading into a season consisting exclusively of doubleheaders, Robichaud said the team plans to work on their ability to maintain energy.
“The game plan stayed the same [between games],” Robichaud said. “I just think we came out a little flat, and I wish we had kept the energy rolling from that first [game] … it’s a controllable thing that we will adjust.”
The 13-4 Bombers hope to reignite their fire in a doubleheader against the Skidmore College Thoroughbred at 3 p.m. April 11 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
