Jenna Grimes
The Ithaca College baseball team saw an opportunity to sit atop the Liberty League and made good use of it, defeating the Hobart College Statesmen 7-4 on Senior Day April 25 at Freeman Field. The victory granted the Bombers the Liberty League West crown and home field advantage in the Liberty League Crossover Series.
Sophomore pitcher Jack Picozzi took the mound for the Bombers, and the Statesmen began to make noise early. With two on and two out, the Statesmen’s sophomore first baseman Sean Garvin grounded a ball through the middle of the field for a two-RBI single. Picozzi readjusted and secured a ground out to shortstop, but the Statesmen emerged from the inning up 2-0.
With nothing going for the Bombers’ offense, their defense returned to the field. With two outs and a man on, Statesmen outfielder Jack Byrnes attempted to steal second, but the Bombers had something to say about it. Bombers senior catcher Logan Scully perfectly placed a dart of a throw to a running Bombers senior shortstop Riley Brawdy who laid down the tag as Byrnes dove into the bag head first. The crowd erupted in cheers for the end of the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, Brawdy shocked the Statesmen. Brawdy ripped the ball over the centerfielder’s head, allowing Brawdy to dig all the way to third, where he beat the tag while third baseman Ryan Laubscher scored. Brawdy hopped up from the slide and aggressively high-fived head coach David Valesente as the crowd and dugout erupted. Senior outfielder Ethan McDonough followed Brawdy with a grounder past a diving first baseman that brought Brawdy in to tie the game.
An ensuing pitchers’ duel took place over the next three innings. Both Picozzi and Statesmen junior pitcher Teck Nash did not let any batters get to them, emerging from each inning with no runs allowed. Picozzi threw six innings and 109 pitches, while Teck threw 67 pitches in the same time frame.
In the top of the seventh, Picozzi was reaching his limit. With over 100 pitches thrown, he walked his first batter and Valesente came out to pull the plug on his start, bringing in graduate student pitcher Sean Kelly from the bullpen. Kelly did not fare well in his lone inning, and his errors helped the Statesmen retake the lead.
After Kelly fielded a bunt, he sailed his throw past first-year first baseman Ethan Fantel. This allowed Statesmen sophomore shortstop Cole Conte to score and the batter to advance to second. The Statesmen again dropped down a bunt that brought in a run, but the Bombers managed to get the out at first. Kelly would escape the inning with two flyouts, but the Bombers were now behind 4-2.
With sophomore pitcher Jake Schulte now in for the Statesmen, the Bombers had a bit of an easier time connecting with the ball. Laubscher began the bottom of the seventh with a monster liner over the centerfielder’s head that touched the fence. Schulte, pressured by Laubscher’s at-bat, threw the ball past his catcher on the next pitch, allowing Laubscher to advance to third. Brawdy hit a sacrifice fly into right field to bring in Laubscher and make the Statesmen’s lead 4-3 heading into the eighth.
After junior pitcher Jack Colyer made quick work of the Statesmen lineup, the Bombers made their bats known. When rain began to fall, junior second baseman Matt Curtis got the ball to fall over the shortstop’s glove. The at-bat brought in junior outfielder Colin Dunn to score after a speedy round around the bases. A Laubscher ground out drove in the leading run but Brawdy was back up and ready to make his mark in the game again. He singled into shallow right field and brought in both runners. First-year infielder Zack Sperger slid past a tag and hopped up to flex as he was engulfed by his teammates. With the Bombers now at the advantage, the Statesmen had one inning to try and get the game back.
Unfortunately for the Statesmen, they did not. Colyer got a strikeout swinging low and two fly outs to secure the Bombers’ victory and their last Liberty League home win of the regular season. Brawdy said that securing the division was crucial for the Bombers.
“It was so good,” Brawdy said. “Playing at home is always an advantage to us. No one wants to come [play us] here.”
With a win on Senior Day, Brawdy reflected on what the team has meant to him over his four years.
“These guys are my best friends,” Brawdy said. “I love them all. [It feels] so good to get the win today and keep playing with them for a little longer.”