Box Score
AUBURN, N.Y. - Tournament tested Ithaca College coasted to an 10-0 victory over Westfield State on the opening day of the NCAA Division III New York Regional on Wednesday, May 16.
Ithaca, the No, 2 seed in the seven-team double-elimination tournament, improved its record to 25-13. The Bombers are making their 41st NCAA playoff appearance (their 31 trips to the Division III tournament are the most of any school).
Westfield, which is making its first NCAA tourney appearance in 23 years, is 20-16. Westfield plays Skidmore College of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in a loser’s bracket game on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. If Westfield defeats Skidmore, it is scheduled to play again on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Despite being out-hit, 4-2, halfway thru the game, Ithaca scored five runs off Westfield State starting pitcher Jeff Fields, as he struggled to get the ball across the plate on the cold, raw night. Fields walked four in the first two innings but was able to hold Ithaca scoreless.
Fields’ control problems finally caught up with him in the third inning when he hit three batters to load the bases, and all three scored for a 3-0 Bomber lead.
Ithaca’s Todd Czerno drove in the first two runs with a sharp two-out single to left-center field. The third run scored when catcher Adam Franke attempted to pick off a runner at second base and threw wildly into the outfield, allowing the runner from third to score.
Ithaca tallied a run in the fourth inning make it 4-0. Fields issued his fifth walk of the game to Jeremy Peters, who stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Josh Smith’s groundout.
Ithaca tacked on three more runs in the fifth to expand its lead to 7-0. The Bombers manufactured their first run in the fifth. Shane Wolf reached safely on a two-base throwing error by first baseman Cagney Turner and scored following wild pitches by Fields and reliever Josh Perches.
Following a walk, a bloop single and sacrifice bunt, Dylan Perez delivered a two-run single to the left side. Shane Wolf added an RBI double in the sixth.
Westfield was out-hit, 9-5. Freshman second baseman Ben Wagner collected two of the Owls’ four hits.
In addition to Westfield’s pitchers walking nine and hitting three batters, the Owls committed four errors. Also, Ithaca had six stolen bases.