UNION, N.J. – The Shenandoah University baseball team continued its run in the 2019 NCAA Tournament with a 9-2 victory Saturday afternoon over Ithaca (N.Y.).

Shenandoah (32-13) advances to Saturday night's 7 p.m. elimination contest versus the loser of the Kean/Westfield (Mass.) State game with the victory of over the Bombers (31-9).

IN DEPTH

SU broke open the game with a six-spot in the sixth, chasing Ithaca starter Jake Binder.

Luke Nussman and Jaime Naill led off the inning with singles, and after a failed sacrifice bunt cut down Nussman at third, Matt Moon singled off of Binder's leg to load the bases.

The Hornets executed a pair of bases loaded suicide squeezes to score the first two runs and scored a third run on a Robert Marcelle groundout. Tristan Baker then drew a walk to reload the bases, which ended Binder's day.

Keegan Woolford, who had saved a run in the fifth with a diving catch in left center, made it 6-1 by drawing a bases loaded walk before Nussman posted his second hit of the frame with a two-run single to center.

In the second, Grant Thompson gave the Hornets the lead by depositing a 2-1 pitch high off the screen for his fourth home run of the season. Naill had singled with one out ahead of Thompson's dinger.

Junior Reeves Lowry went the first eight innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits and two walks. Lowry (4-4) struck out three before turning it over to senior Brandon McKenzie for the ninth.

Binder (7-4) allowed eight runs on 12 hits and one walk in 5 2/3.

Marcelle led the offense with three hits while Frankie Ritter, Baker, Nussman, Thompson and Naill all had two each.

Nussman and Thompson each drove in a pair of runs.

UP NEXT

Shenandoah takes on the loser of the Kean versus Westfield (Mass.) State tonight at 7 in another elimination game.

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