It's not often that a bobble in the field can be fortuitous, but in Ithaca's case, it may have been just that as the Bombers beat Lake Forest, 1-0, May 20 in the final game of the Division III Softball Championship.

The fortuitous play came after Lake Forest's Tina Koludrovic doubled with one out in the top of the sixth. Robyn Slater followed with a hard bouncer that was fielded cleanly by Ithaca third baseman Kerri Barber, who fumbled the ball while trying to throw to first. However, Barber alertly picked up the ball and flipped to another player covering third to catch Koludrovic in a rundown while Slater was held at first. The next batter hit a line drive to left field that would have resulted in the game-tying run. Instead, the Bombers got out of the inning on a final ground out.

Ithaca scored its only run in the second inning. Mairin Dudek collected the only RBI of the game when she lined a single to right field that scored Kimberly Stephens from second base.

"I thought we would need to score a few more," Ithaca coach Deb Pallozzi said. "Their 2-3-4-5 hitters are tough outs."

Abby Hanrahan pitched the opening five innings of the title game and was replaced by Abbey Pelot after Kolundorvic's double.

"We needed ground-ball outs," Pallozzi said about the substitution. "Pelot's a drop ball pitcher. She has the off-speed drop so that's why we went with her. They like to pull and they have the tendency to pull their heads up and out a little bit and (Pelot) keeps it down. (Pelot) had a lot of success with them yesterday."

Ithaca, which advanced through the tournament without a loss, faced Lake Forest in what could have been the final game May 19 and lost, 9-7, to force a rematch. Lake Forest rebounded from a loss in the opening game to Emory and progressed through the loser's bracket to the title game.

Barber, Hanrahan and catcher Kristin Furdon were named to the all-tournament team for Ithaca, while Koludrovic, Nancy Findeisen, Leigh Anne Furgerson and Robyn Slater represented Lake Forest. The team also included Gina Utecht and Becky Hilgert from St. Thomas (Minnesota); Andrea Wells, Kelsey Palanuik and Shannon Fritzke from Pacific Lutheran; Raquel Burns from Bethany (West Virginia); Emory's Mary Nicol; and Salisbury's Kareem Falcon.

Championship summary

First round: At Pacific Lutheran -- Wis.-Superior 4, Trinity (Tex.) 3; East Tex. Baptist 7, La Verne 0; Pacific Lutheran 9, Wis.-Superior 1 (5 inn.); La Verne 6, Trinity (Tex.) 4; Pacific Lutheran 6, East Tex. Baptist 0; La Verne 8, Wis.-Superior 6; East Tex. Baptist 8, La Verne 5; Pacific Lutheran 3, East Tex. Baptist 1. (Pacific Lutheran advances.)

At Central (Iowa) -- Wartburg 1, Marian (Wis.) 0 (8 inn.); St. Thomas (Minn.) 3, Coe 1; Central (Iowa) 1, Wartburg 0 (11 inn.); Coe 9, Marian (Wis.) 0 (6 inn.); St. Thomas (Minn.) 1, Central (Iowa) 0; Coe 2, Wartburg 0; Coe 4, Central (Iowa) 1; Coe 2, St. Thomas (Minn.) 1; St. Thomas (Minn.) 3, Coe 0. [St. Thomas (Minn.) advances.]

At Emory -- Ferrum 2, Savannah A&D 0; Roanoke 5, Maryville (Tenn.) 4; Emory 2, Ferrum 1 (13 inn.); Maryville (Tenn.) 2, Savanna A&D 1; Roanoke 2, Emory 1; Ferrum 2, Maryville (Tenn.) 0; Emory 7, Ferrum 2; Emory 2, Roanoke 1; Emory 4, Roanoke 0. (Emory advances.)

At Muskingum -- Bethany (W.Va.) 6, Denison 2; Alma 3, Mt. St. Joseph 0; Bethany (W.Va.) 2, Muskingum 1; Capitol 2, Alma 1; Denison 3, Mt. St. Joseph 1; Muskingum 2, Alma 0; Bethany (W. Va.) 1, Capitol 0; Muskingum 2, Denison 0; Muskingum 4, Capitol 3; Bethany (W. Va.) 2, Muskingum 1. [Bethany (W. Va.) advances.]

At Ithaca -- Manhattanville 5, Hunter 4; Ithaca 2, King's (Pa.) 0; Geneseo St. 8, Manhattanville 0 (6 inn.); King's (Pa.) 15, Hunter 1 (5 inn.); Ithaca 1, Geneseo St. 0; King's (Pa.) 1, Manhattanville 0; Geneseo St. 1, King's (Pa.) 0. (Ithaca was declared the first-round winner because inclement weather prevented the games from being completed.)

At Cabrini -- Western Md. 6, Salisbury 2; Rowan 4, Moravian 2 (9 inn.); Cabrini 6, Western Md. 1; Salisbury 7, Moravian 4; Rowan 7, Cabrini 2; Salisbury 2, Western Md. 1; Salisbury 2, Cabrini 1; Salisbury 2, Rowan 1 (11 inn.); Salisbury 5, Rowan 1. (Salisbury advances.)

At Illinois Wesleyan -- Webster 10, Eureka 0 (5 inn.); Washington (Mo.) 4, Ill. Wesleyan 1; Lake Forest 8, Webster 0 (5 inn.); Benedictine (Ill.) 7, Washington (Mo.) 0; Ill. Wesleyan 8, Eureka 3; Webster 3, Washington (Mo.) 0; Lake Forest 7, Benedictine (Ill.) 1; Webster 9, Ill. Wesleyan 6; Benedictine (Ill.) 2, Webster 0; Lake Forest 2, Benedictine (Ill.) 0. (Lake Forest advances.)

At Wheaton (Massachusetts) -- Western Conn. St. 4, Roger Williams 0; Tufts 1, Western New Eng. 0 (8 inn.); Western Conn. St. 1, Wheaton (Mass.) 0; Bridgewater St. 2, Tufts 1 (13 inn.); Western New Eng. 2, Roger Williams 1; Wheaton (Mass.) 3, Tufts 1; Western Conn. St. 1, Bridgewater St. 0; Wheaton (Mass.) 2, Western New Eng. 0; Bridgewater St. 1, Wheaton (Mass.) 0; Western Conn. St. 2, Bridgewater St. 1. (Western Conn. St. advances.)

Game No. 1

Katie Mullinix and Kim Rementer; Melissa Korb, Amy Evans (4) and Shannon Fritzke. W -- Mullinix. L -- Korb.

Game No. 2

Abigail Hanrahan and Kristin Furdon; Rachael Schafer and Amy Schafer. W -- Hanrahan. L -- Schafer.

Game No. 3

Nancy Findeisen and Jenn Reifenberg; Nicole Kovski and Allison Bouknight. W -- Kovski. L -- Findeisen.

Game No. 4

Sarah Zaslaw and Christine Valie; Stacy Tamble and Gina Utecht. W -- Tamble. L -- Zaslaw.

Game No. 5

Melissa Korb, Amy Evans (6) and Shannon Fritzke; Rachael Schafer and Amy Schafer. W -- Korb. L -- Schafer.

Game No. 6

Leigh Anne Furgerson, Nancy Findeisen (3) and Jenn Reifenberg; Sarah Zaslaw and Alayna Davis. W -- Findeisen. L -- Zaslaw.

Game No. 7

Abigail Hanrahan and Kristin Furdon; Katie Mullinix and Kim Rementer. W -- Hanrahan. L -- Mullinix.

Game No. 8

Andrea Sweeney, Stacy Tamble (1) and Gina Utecht; Nicole Kovski, Christine O'Brien and Allison Bouknight. W -- Kovski. L -- Sweeney.

Game No. 9

Katie Mullinix and Kim Rementer; Leigh Anne Furgerson, Shannon Clerkin (7) and Jenn Reifenberg. W -- Furgerson. L -- Mullinix.

Game No. 10

Stacy Tamble, Andrea Sweeney (5) and Gina Utecht; Jewel Koury, Melissa Korb (5), Amy Evans (7) and Resa Lee. W -- Koury. L -- Tamble.

Game No. 11

Christine O'Brien and Allison Bouknight; Abigail Hanrahan and Kristin Furdon. W -- Hanrahan. L -- O'Brien.

Game No. 12

Melissa Korb and Shannon Fritzke; Nancy Findeisen and Jenn Reifenberg. W -- Findeisen. L -- Korb.

Game No. 13

Nicole Kovski and Allison Bouknight; Leigh Anne Furgerson, Nancy Findeisen (6) and Jenn Reifenberg. W -- Findeisen. L -- Kovski.

Game No. 14

Nancy Findeisen and Jenn Reifenberg; Abigail Hanrahan, Abbey Pelot (5) and Kristin Furdon. W -- Findeisen. L -- Hanrahan.

Championship game

E -- Barber. LOB -- Lake Forest 7, Ithaca 3. 2B -- Koludrovic. SH -- Gibson.

W -- Hanrahan. L -- Furgerson. S -- Pelot. U -- Mark Sefcik, Terri Rosenwald, Jay McGivern. T -- 1:20. Attendance -- 150.