In a top-25 showdown, visiting Ithaca College rallied in the late innings of both games to sweep host St. John Fisher College on Saturday in a pivotal Empire 8 Conference doubleheader.   Ithaca scored four runs in the fifth inning and held on to win the opener, 6-5, in the seven-inning affair.  In the nightcap, Ithaca scored three in the bottom of the ninth, and added one run in the 10^th and 11^th to beat the host Cardinals, 7-6, in 11 frames.  With the two losses, Fisher, ranked 13^th nationally, falls to 20-5 overall and 3-3 in the Empire 8 Conference, while the No. 25 Bombers improve to 22-7, 12-2.  Fisher returns to action at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and will host College at Brockport.

Game One:  Ithaca 6, Fisher 5

In the opener, both pitchers looked sharp through the first two innings, but Ithaca would strike first, scoring two runs on only one hit; a single to right field in the third.

Fisher would get one back in the home half of the inning when Mike Fahy walked and worked his way around the bases, eventually scoring on an RBI-double off the bat of Brad Rush.  The two-base knock from Rush was significant as it set a new program-best for career doubles with 46.

After a scoreless top of the fourth, Joe Simmons singled his way on base and scored as the next batter, Cam Allen, launched a double down the left field line to knot the game at two runs apiece.  After back-to-back walks to the load the bases, the Cardinals were set up for a big inning.  Nick Flemister would give Fisher a 3-2 lead, singling to right field to plate Allen, but the Bombers would escape any further trouble as Fisher.

Ithaca would take the lead for good in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on four hits and an error to take a 6-3 lead.
After scoring a run in the home half of the sixth, Fisher brought the winning run to the plate after a Cody Wiktorski single, but it was not to be as the Bombers earned the hard-fought 6-5 win.
Justin D'Amato suffered his first loss of the season after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits over five innings of work.   

Game Two: Ithaca 7, Fisher 6 (11 innings)

Up 4-2 going into the top of the ninth,  Fisher's Ryan Smith, who entered the game allowing just two hits, one walk and 14 strikeouts over 8.1 innings, needed just three outs to preserve the win, but the Bombers would rally. Ithaca used a single and two walks to load the bases and tied the game up on two sacrifice flies.  The Bombers then took their first lead of the day, scoring on a two-out fielding error.

Fisher, however, battled back and tied the game in the bottom of the ninth.  After back-to-back singles from Brad Rush and Cam Allen, Rush scored from third on a wild pitch, to tie the game at 5s, but wasn't able to take the lead.

Ithaca retook the lead in the top of the 10th, as a leadoff-double down the line in right scored on a single through the left side two batters later to make it 6-5.

Fisher would answer again.  Nick Flemister singled to start the inning and pinch runner Tom Kline advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Malcolm Kelsey.  With two outs, Kline scored from second, tying the game at 6-6, as Mike Roman reached on an error by the third baseman.

In the top of the 11th, Ithaca took the lead for good, scoring one run on one hit, two walks and two hit batters.
Joe Simmons singled in the bottom of the 11th with two outs but couldn't get into scoring position.  Simmons, Flemister and Rush each finished with three hits, while Mike Fahy was 2-for-6 with two runs scored.

Starting pitcher Shawn Corrigan went 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs, while striking out four.