Ithaca, NY: The #18 Ramapo College softball team shutout #20 Ithaca College today 3-0 to advance to the NCAA Regional Championship game tomorrow afternoon. The Roadrunners improve to 31-9 overall while the Bombers drop to 32-11 on the year.
Abby Shields led off with a walk for the Bombers to lead off the bottom of the second inning before she moved to second on a sac bunt from Shannon Grage. An infield ground out moved her up one base, which recorded the second out before a walk loaded the bases for Vanessa Brown. Ramapo starting pitcher
Christina Brizek induced a groundout to
Harper Patsko at third base to end the threat.
In the top of the third inning the Roadrunners took a 2-0 lead when two runs came in on an infield throwing error.
Jackie Howarth reached on an error and
Ally Spellman singled to center field before Patsko reach on an error to load the bases for
Nicole Mahoney. Mahoney put the ball in play to the short stop who tried to get the force at home plate but the throw got away from the catcher allowing Howarth and Spellman to score.
Nicole Hernandez beat out an infield single to lead off the top of the fourth inning and advanced to second when she advanced on
Sisi Machinski's foul out down the left field line. Hernandez was lifted for pinch runner
Alexandria Rigoli and with two outs the Bombers got out of the inning inducing an infield pop up to end the Ramapo threat.
Harper Patsko led off the top of the fifth inning with her second home run of the tournament – a solo shot over the left field wall – to put the Roadrunners up 3-0.
Ithaca worked a lead off walk to start the bottom of the seventh inning before the Roadrunners worked out of the jam. With a runner on first with one out Machinski would make a diving catch down the right field line for the second out before Brizek fielding the final out of the inning and fired to Mahoney to seal the victory for the Roadrunners.
Bizek (8-2) fired a two hitter with five strikeouts and five walks in the complete game shutout. Spellman was the only Roadrunner to collect two hits in the game finishing 2-3 in the game.
Haley Congdon (16-6) took the loss for the Bombers. She struck out five, walked two and scattered four hits while she surrendered three runs, one earned.
The Roadrunners are making their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last three seasons and the seventh overall.
