Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College softball team couldn’t handle a potent Tufts offense in its first home NESCAC contests of the year, falling 11-1 in six innings in the first game and 9-1 in five innings in Game 2 of a doubleheader Saturday at Lafayette Street Field. 

Tufts managed 28 hits in the two games while surrendering only six on the afternoon to earn the sweep. Bates came into the weekend leading the conference in batting average and scoring but was unable to solve a strong Jumbo pitching effort on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

In the first game, Bobcat starter Kristin Masino (North Arlington, N.J.) kept Bates within a run until the fifth inning, when Tufts plated four runners in the frame to take a 5-1 lead.  Tufts first baseman Erica Bailey (Scottsdale, Ariz.) broke open the game with a three-run home run down the left-field line off Masino, giving her four runs batted in for the day, which included a third-inning RBI double to open the scoring. 

In the sixth inning, Tufts sent 12 hitters to the plate on their way to a half-dozen runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from Danielle Lopez (Danvers, Mass.) and five consecutive hits from the bottom of the batting order.

The Bates bats began to show signs of life in the bottom of the sixth inning as Lissa Moses (Hamden, Conn.) followed a leadoff double by Caitlin Murphy (Westwood, Mass.) with an RBI single to plate the lone Bobcat run. 

Tufts’ Julia Brenta (San Anselmo, Calif.) scattered four hits in a complete game win to improve to 4-2 on the year.  Masino was the losing pitcher, dropping her record to 5-4 for the season.

The second game was reminiscent of the first, as Bates managed only two hits in five innings against Tufts pitchers Sarah Conroy (Biddeford, Maine) and Lauren Ebstein (Chicago, Ill.). 

Katie Franklin (New Preston, Conn.) hit her team-leading third home run of the year for the only Bobcat tally, a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning. 

Meghan Foley (Worcester, Mass.) went 3-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to key a 13-hit Jumbo attack.  Eight different players got hits for the Jumbos, who improve to 18-10 on the season and remain perfect in conference play at 6-0. 

Bates falls to 6-8 on the year with the losses but will look to return to winning form in back-to-back home doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday against Husson and Thomas, respectively.