Baseball | 3/27/2009 4:42:47 PM

Click here for game one stats

Click here for game two stats

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT baseball team (3-11, 0-2 Empire 8) dropped a pair of extra inning contests against visiting Ithaca on Friday afternoon at RIT Field. RIT dropped game one, 6-5 in eight innings, and game two, 5-3 in eight innings. Ithaca is now 11-3 and 2-0 in E8 play.

Ithaca's Alan Kartholl ripped a two-run double down the left field line on an 0-2 pitch to snap the 4-4 tie.

Dave Kernan (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring the Tigers within one. The homer was Kernan's team-best third of the season.

RIT left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Ithaca catcher Mike Armstrong saved the game by blocking an errant curve ball in the dirt with a Tiger on third.

The Tigers jumped out right away to a 1-0 lead in game one. Justin Smith (Livonia, NY/Livonia) (Livonia, NY/Livonia) and Geoff Dornes (Landsville, PA/Hempfield) (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) led off with consecutive singles.  Jeff Creagh (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) hit the hardest ball of the inning, a one-hop rocket right at the second basemen, who was shaded towards the middle that produced a double play, but scored Smith from third.

Ithaca scored twice on three solid hits in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, RIT benefited from two Ithaca errors to score three times and take a 4-2 lead. Anthony Culotta (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili) (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili) blooped a single between three fielders into centerfield. Smith bunted to move Culotta to second but reached when Ithaca starting pitcher Pete MacDaniel bobbled the ball. Dornes knocked in Culotta with a single to left field. Creagh hit a ground ball to the pitcher that advanced both runners. The Ithaca first basemen tried to catch Smith rounding too far off of third base and threw the ball away, allowing both Smith and Dornes to score.

Once again, Ithaca came back with two runs on two hit batters, a single and an error in the fourth inning to tie the game at 4.

Smith was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base for RIT. Dornes was 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI.

Mike Marsillo (Scottsdale, AZ/Desert Mountain) (Scottsdale, AZ/Desert Mountain) pitched well for RIT, but took the loss, allowing seven hits and four earned runs in seven-plus innings. He struck out four, walked none, but hit three batters.

MacDaniel improved to 4-0 on the mound for Ithaca, allowing three earned runs on five hits, while throwing all eight innings. T.J. Abone and Kurt Bednarcyk had two hits and a run batted in apiece for the Bombers.

In game two, Rob Zappia drove in the game-winning run, snapping a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning. Zappia finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI for the Bombers.

Ithaca scored a run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead.

RIT scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead. Kernan doubled off the left field wall to lead off the frame.# Raffaele Parisi (Rochester, NY/Aquinas)# (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) ripped a single up the middle that moved Kernan to third.# Kyle Desrosiers (North Attleboro, MA/Xaverian Brothers)# (North Attleboro, MA/Xaverian Brothers) drove in Kernan with a single. After Smith was hit by a pitch, senior #Matt Austin (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport)# (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport), who pinch ran for Parisi, scored on a wild pitch. Smith and Desrosiers executed a perfect double steal of second and home to give RIT a 3-2 lead.

Ithaca tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, but freshman hurler #Brad Wright (Baldswinville, NY/C.W. Baker)# (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) pitched RIT out of a big jam, entering the game with the bases loaded and nobody out. Wright induced a sacrifice fly and struck out the next two batters on six straight curveballs to get out of the frame.

Wright picked up hard luck loss, allowing just three hits and two runs in four strong innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Chris Miller (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) started for RIT, allowing six hits and three runs in four-plus innings. Dornes and Smith each had a pair of hits for RIT.

The same two teams meet for a pair of games on Saturday afternoon starting at 1 p.m.