UTICA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Utica on Saturday in a matchup of the top two teams in the Empire 8 as well as the initial NCAA Northeast Region rankings. Utica won the first game 8-7 and the second game 12-8. The Bombers totaled 24 hits and four home runs in the doubleheader.

Ithaca returns home to Kostrinsky Field on Sunday for a doubleheader against Elmira, ranked third in the Northeast Region by the NCAA.

Utica 8, Ithaca 7 | Box Score and Play-by-Play

Ithaca clawed back from an early five-run deficit but couldn't complete the comeback as the Bombers left 10 runners on base including the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings and two runners on in third and fourth innings.

Jennifer Biondi was 4-for-5 in the game to lead the Bombers and Sydney Folk, Brooke Powers, Julianne Vincent, and Rachel Dell'Orto all had two hits each. Folk hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Laura Quicker started and took the loss, and Sam Bender pitched four innings in relief, allowing three unearned runs with two strikeouts.

Utica 12, Ithaca 8 | Box Score and Play-by-Play

Ithaca slugged three homers in the game, one each from Francesca Busa, Sydney Folk and Carianne D'Alessandro. It was part of a three-hit game for Busa, Folk had two hits, as did Julianne Vincent who doubled twice with two RBIs. Allison Macari started and pitched six innings. She had three strikeouts.