TROY, N.Y. – Facing a bases loaded situation in the top of the seventh, junior captain Kelly Erkert made an outstanding running catch on a long fly ball to deep center to give Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) an 8-6 victory over Ithaca College in game two of a non-conference softball doubleheader at Doris Robison Field. The Bombers captured game one by an 8-5 margin.

In the split, the Engineers move to 16-6 on the season and picked up their first win over Ithaca since April 3, 2004 – a 2-1 win in Ithaca. The visiting Bombers move to 19-7 overall.

Despite a 2-0 lead to open game two, Rensselaer quickly found itself down after the Ithaca second as the Bombers sent six runs across, including a grand slam to left field off the bat of second baseman Kait Dolan (Victor, NY/Farmington) for a 6-2 advantage.

Rensselaer got a run back in the bottom of the second, but grabbed the lead in the game in the third frame with four runs on three hits.  Junior Sara Heller (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) got things going with a single to right field to drive in a run. The Bombers made a pitching switch, but a pair of hits, including a run-scoring shot up the middle by sophomore Caitlin McGivern (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame) followed with a hit to make it a 6-5 game

The Engineers grabbed the lead soon after, capitalizing on three Ithaca errors to push two more runs across for a 7-6 advantage after three complete innings.

Facing a two-run deficit in the top of the seventh, Ithaca made it a bases loaded situation with two outs in the top of the seventh, but a late pitching change by the Engineers to senior Felicia Bua (Gilford, NH/Gilford) on the last batter proved the difference as O'Donnell hit the long ball to center for the play by Erkert (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township).

Senior Jen Bach (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy) picked up the win in the circle, improving to 8-2 after allowing six runs on seven hits over 6.2 innings pitched. She also struck out two. Bua pitched her first save of the season in relief. Heller led the way at the plate, going 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored.

For the Bombers, rookie Jillian Olmstead (Magnolia, DE/Ceasar Rodney) shouldered the loss, allowing two runs on five hits over 4.0 innings with five strikeouts. She came on in relief of classmate Sam Bender (Levittown, PA/Neshnaminy), who allowed six runs on four hits.

Ithaca got an early start in its game one victory opening up a 2-1 advantage. The Bombers led 4-2 after four complete innings before the game opened up in the top of the fifth as the visitors pushed across two more runs on back-to-back singles. The Rensselaer bats came alive in the bottom of the inning, led by a two-run double from senior Genevieve Falco (Seaford, NY/Seaford), but it wasn't enough as Ithaca added two more runs in the top of the seventh for the 8-5 victory.

Senior Britt Lillie (Mendon, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima), who homered in the first inning and went 3 for 4 at the plate, also picked up the win in the circle as she allowed two runs on five hits over 6.0 innings. 

For the Engineers, Bua suffered the loss with four runs on six hits through 4.0 innings. She also struck out three batters. 

RPI is back on the diamond on Sunday as they host Liberty League-rival Rochester at Doris Robison Field (1pm). Ithaca hosts a twinbill against Empire 8-foe Utica on Saturday (3:30pm).