COLUMBUS, Ga. – The 21st-ranked Ithaca College softball team began its season with a pair of round-robin games on the opening day of the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic at the South Commons Complex with a 9-1 loss to ninth-ranked Linfield and a 6-5 loss to Fontbonne. The tournament features 28 teams and includes 14 that are ranked in the latest NFCA Division III poll. Fans can track the tournament at the official website, built and maintained by the NFCA. The Bombers will continue pool play with their third round-robin game Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Gustavus Adolphus. Following pool play, teams will be assigned to brackets based on their round-robin records.

#9 Linfield 9, #22 Ithaca 1 (6 inn.)

Ithaca's run came in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Bombers opened their season against the 2012 NCAA second-place team and 2011 national champions. Ithaca managed three hits in the game, and Sam Bender took the loss in the circle. Linfield scored at least once in every inning.

Fontbonne 6, #22 Ithaca 5

The Bombers fell behind 5-0 before rallying to make a game of it in the latter innings. Ithaca's first offensive surge came in the top of the fifth inning when consecutive singles by second baseman Julianne Vincent and shortstop Francesca Busa brought first baseman Sydney Folk to the plate, who drove in both runners with a triple to right field. Folk then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kelly Robichaud to make the score 5-3.

After Fontbonne added a run in the bottom of the fifth, the Bombers struck for two more in the top half of the inning. Both runs were forced in on bases-loaded walks to Vincent and Robichaud. Allison Macari was the starting pitcher and took the loss, and Sam Bender finished the game for Ithaca.