Softball | 5/7/2011 12:45:04 PM

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ITHACA, NY - The RIT softball team (23-11) kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, advancing to the Empire 8 Championship after slipping past top-seeded Ithaca (27-12), 1-0 in five innings in game five of the double-elimination Empire 8 Tournament held at Kostrinsky Field on Saturday morning.  The Tigers will face St. John Fisher on Saturday at 1 p.m.  If RIT can knock off the Cardinals twice in a row, they will win the Empire 8 Tournament and earn an automatic berth into the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers advanced to their first Empire 8 Championship contest since 2003.

RIT scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning, as Emily Courtney (Berlin, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Shannon McCormick (Auburn, NY/Auburn).  Tori Nadow (Charlton, MA/Shepherd Hill) lifted a fly ball to right field that Courtney attempted to advance to third on.  The throw by the right fielder got past the third baseman and Courtney was able to score.

From there, senior hurler Carlissa Cole (Alden, NY/Alden) was in command, allowing just two hits, with four walks, and three strikeouts.  She did pitch out of a second third jam with two outs in the fourth, then stranded a runner at third with one out in the seventh, getting two infield pop-ups to secure her 10th straight win, and improve to 14-3 this season.

Cole is 10-0 with a 0.85 earned run average and 0.90 WHIP over her last 12 appearances. Overall, she is 14-3 with a 1.68 ERA and has five shutouts this season.  Cole has not allowed a run over her last 21 2/3 innings.

RIT had a handful of great chances to expand the lead, but could not.  The Tigers had first and third with one out in the fourth, but two strikeouts ended the rally, then did the same thing the following inning.

Allison Greaney took the loss for Ithaca, allowing six and an unearned run in 4 1/3 innings.  Britt Lillie struck out three over the final 1 2/3 innings.

Yesterday, RIT, the second seed lost to third-seeded St. John Fisher, 6-3, while fourth-seeded Stevens lost to top-seed Ithaca, 4-3 in 13 innings.  RIT then eliminated Stevens, 10-0, while St. John Fisher defeated Ithaca 2-0.  The Cardinals are the only team not to have lost, so RIT will have to win twice to earn the 2011 Empire 8 Championship.  One win by Fisher will give them the championship.