| 5/11/2005 8:34:05 AM
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AUBURN, NY - John Byrne (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East)'s (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) two run single with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning broke an 11-11 tie and capped off one of the greatest two-inning scoring binges in school history, as the Tigers scored 12 runs in the game's final two innings, twice coming back from four runs down to defeat Ithaca 13-11 at Falcon Field in Auburn, NY on Tuesday night.
RIT trailed 5-1 heading into the top of the eighth inning before scoring six runs on just two hits in the inning to take a 7-5 lead. Scott Schneider (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single by Byrne. After a wild pitch moved the runners up a base, Colin Bradley (Barre, VT/Spaulding) (Barre, VT/Spaulding) drew a walk to load the bases. Andy Scroger (Rochester, NY/Spencerport) (Rochester, NY/Spencerport) hit a shot that could not be handled by the second baseman, scoring both Schneider and Byrne to make the score 5-3 Bombers. After Adam Gerentine (Poughkeepsie, NY/Marlboro) (Poughkeepsie, NY/Marlboro) sacrificed the runners over to second and third for the first out of the inning, Jason Socola (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) (Rochester, NY/Rush Henrietta) hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bradley, to make it 5-4. Rob Ogborne (Rochester, NY/Penfield) (Rochester, NY/Penfield) drew a walk to keep the inning alive and Brian Lindenau (Tucson, AZ/Sabino) (Tucson, AZ/Sabino) tied the game with a double down the right field line. The Tigers grabbed their first lead of the game when Mark Sapienza (Avon, NY/Avon)'s (Avon, NY/Avon) ground ball was thrown away, scoring both Ogborne and Lindenau to put RIT up 7-5.
The lead was short lived however, as the Bombers came right back with a six-spot of their own in the bottom of the eighth inning to go back up 7-5, highlighted by two-rbi hits by Marty O'Boyle and Rob Raux.
Trailing 11-7 with just three outs left, RIT would not quit. Byrne singled to lead off the ninth and was moved to second when Bradley reached on an error by the third baseman. Scroger walked to load the bases with no outs. Bradley cut the Ithaca lead to 11-8 when he reached on an error by the shortsop, driving in Byrne. After a strikeout, a wild pitch moved all of the runners up, with Bradley crossing the plate to make it 11-9. For the second straight frame, Ogborne drew a walk to load the bases once again. Lindenau made it a one-run game, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Scroger.
Down to their final out, the Tigers kept coming on, as Sapienza's single through the left side drove in Gerentine to bring the Tigers all the way back once again, tying the game at 11. After Schneider reached on an error to load the bases for the third time in the inning, Byrne delivered the decisive blow , ripping a single to left center, driving in Ogborne and Sapienza to make it 13-11 RIT.
Bo Mahaney (Burdett, NY/Watkins Glen) (Burdett, NY/Watkins Glen) kept the Bombers at bay, getting through the ninth to pick up his third win of the season and giving the Tigers one of their wildest wins in recent history.
RIT won despite being out-hit 18-7. They were helped out by six Ithaca errors and 12 walks by Bomber pitching.
RIT (15-14, 5-3 Empire 8) will close out the regular season on Saturday, as they host Hartwick in a doubleheader at RIT Field at 1 p.m.
