ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College softball team (7-6) split a doubleheader with Rensselaer (7-7) Saturday, winning the opener 8-7 in eight innings and losing game two 9-7. In game one, the Bombers trailed 7-3 heading into their last at-bat but tied the game thanks to a lead-off home run by freshman center fielder Maggie Maurice and a one-out three-run home run by junior third baseman Molly O'Donnell. In the bottom of the eighth, freshman shortstop Francesca Busa scored from second on a two-out hit by sophomore left fielder Rachel Dell'Orto; Busa was tagged out at home on the play but the umpires, after conferring, ruled that because she had been obstructed while running the bases the run would count.

The visiting Engineers had taken their game one lead by scoring four fifth-inning runs to erase Ithaca's 3-0 advantage, then takcing on three in the top of the ninth.

Maurice's first career home run kicked off Ithaca's rally. Adrienne Walters singled sharply off the pitcher and Dell'Orto drew a walk. After an infield ground out, O'Donnell hammered a 1-2 pitch over the left-field fence to tie the score.

In the eighth inning, Busa and Walters reached on Rensselaer errors to set up Dell'Orto's single to center field. Rensselaer's relay was executed perfecly and Busa was tagged out on a close play at the plate before the umpires ruled that obstruction by an Engineer infielder kept Busa from scoring and declared the run.

O'Donnell, Maurice and sophomore second baseman Julianne Vincent each had two hits for the Bombers. Vincent scored the game's first run, scoring on an RBI ground out by sophomore Sydney Folk after reaching on a one-out single.

The Bombers scored twice in the second; Maurice singled in Busa then came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Dell'Orto.

Sophomore Jillian Olmstead earned the win with 3.1 innings of two-hit relief. She improved to 4-4.

In the nightcap Ithaca carried a 7-6 lead into the seventh before Rensselaer took the lead on a one-out three-run home run. The Bombers brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning following O'Donnell's lead-off single but the Engineers retired the next three hitters to claim the split.

Vincent's two-run single and a two-RBI double by O'Donnell (who singled in Ithaca's first run in the second) highlighted Ithaca's five-run second. Busa capped the rally with a run-scoring ground out.

O'Donnell picked up her season-best fourth RBI in the fourth with a solo home run -- her second of the day and third of the season (matching Folk for the team lead).

The Bombers are idle until opening Empire 8 play Saturday with a doubleheader against visiting Stevens.

Game one box score | Game two box score