COLUMBUS, Ga. – A five-run first inning would prove to be the difference as the East Texas Baptist University softball team defeated Ithaca College 6-1 in the first game of the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic. Later in the evening, ETBU lost to Trine (Ind.) University by a 6-1 final. Those results put No. 7-ranked ETBU at 11-4 overall for the season.

Against Ithaca, Lindsey Lewis led the way with two hits and an RBI. Lindsey Vasquez, Jayme Perez, Jessica Bowden, Kaitlyn Hollingshead, and Trina Deyo would each have an RBI in the. Kelly Jo McLendon would get the win by going 5.1 innings allowing one run on eight hits. Perez would also pitch as she closed out the final 1.2 innings when she struck out four of the final five Ithaca batters.

After Ithaca had two hits in the top of the first inning, ETBU would respond with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Vasquez doubled to lead off and scored on a RBI double by Lewis. Hollingshead added a run on a RBI single with the bases loaded make it 2-0. Deyo followed with a walk pushing the score to 3-0. Katy Hill then reached on an error for the fourth run and Vasquez came around for the second time in the inning being to finish the five-run inning.

After two more scoreless frames, Ithaca got one on the board on a home run in the third inning to pull within four, 5-1. In the sixth inning, Ithaca loaded the bases with one out. But when Perez came in, she struck out the first two hitters and escaped the jam. ETBU would get an insurance run as Bowden delivered an RBI single to make it 6-1. Perez then shut the door as she would strikeout two batters in the seventh and secure the win.

In its second game of the day, ETBU played to an identical 6-1 score but ended up on the losing end against Trine. Vasquez drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half of the first inning, stole second base and later crossed the plate on a two-out, two-strike double to left-center by Kaitlyn Hollingshead for a 1-0 ETBU lead. Trine proceeded to then score the game's final six runs, capped by a Kaitlyn Clark two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

Starting pitcher Raquel Tello (6-1) took the loss for ETBU, tossing four innings. She allowed eight hits, three runs (all earned) and struck out two with one walk. Outside of Hollingshead's double, Hill's single on a 0-2 pitch in the fifth was ETBU's only other base hit in the game.

ETBU will play its final pool play game on Saturday against Eastern Connecticut State University at 11:30 a.m.