ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College Bombers swept the regular season series with the Vassar baseball team Wednesday at Freeman Field. Ithaca took game one 4-0 and then claimed the nightcap 13-6 to move to 9-5 overall and 4-0 in the Liberty League. Vassar now slips to 1-7 and 0-4 in the conference.
After a scoreless first inning, the Bombers posted two runs in the bottom of the second. Gil Merod opened by doubling to right field, and then Alex Barker-Hook doubled in the next at-bat to allow Merod to score. Barker-Hook then reached home after Louis Fabbo grounded out.
Neither side scored in the three innings, with the Brewers struggling to hit. Vassar had chances in the sixth to cut the lead, tacking on three hits but leaving three on base. First-year Reid Lapekas singled to center field and right after Andrew Kanellis singled to the left side. Sophomore Ezra Caspi tacked on another single after bunting to load the bases. Ithaca pitcher Kyle Lambert then locked down the Brewer batters, striking out the next two. Alex Warren was able to reach the next at-bat, but Caspi was thrown out at second.
Ithaca added two more runs to secure the win in the bottom of the sixth. A Jack Lynch single brought Mike Nauta home, and then a Lynch score himself after a Buzz Shirley single.
Caspi led the Brewers with two hits, while Lapekas, Kanellis, Nick Greenhawt, and Brent Shimoda each hit. Bryce Grathwohl (0-1) pitched 4.0 innings and gave up five hits and two runs. Patrick Fitzgerald was the relief pitcher and went 2.0 innings with three hits, two runs, and three strikeouts.
Shirley led the Bombers with two hits, while Lynch, Merod, Barker-Hook, and Mauta each had a run. Lambert (2-0) pitched all seven innings with six hits and seven strikeouts.
Ithaca scored multiple runs in the first four innings, as the Bombers completed the sweep of Vassar in game two. Ithaca went up 6-0 in the fourth inning before Vassar scored three in the fifth. A wild pitch allowed Cameron Skudin to score, and then a sacrifice bunt from Kanellis brought in Lapekas. Greenhawt singled to center field to give Caspi a run. Then in the sixth, Lapekas doubled, which let Jaden Millstein reach home and cut the score to 4-6.
The comeback was short-lived as the Bombers brought in seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. Garret Callaghan had a three-run home run to push the Ithaca lead to 4-9. By the end of the inning, Ithaca went up by nine. Vassar scored twice more before the game was over. Grathwohl scored on a passed ball, and then a walk with bases loaded allowed Millstein to tack on the run.
Millstein led Vassar with two runs, while Lapekas, Caspi, Grathwohl, and Skudin had a run each. Joe Sabo (0-1) pitched 2.0 innings and had four strikeouts.
Nate Scott (1-0) earned the Ithaca win and pitched 1.1 innings with two strikeouts. Shirley pitched 4.0 innings with six strikeouts.
Vassar is back in action on April 24 to host Bard in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at Prentiss Field.
