Leah Citrin '09

Leah Citrin '09

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A day after the Bates College softball team had a pair of one-run losses, the Bobcats got the short end of the ledger on Friday. Playing in the Gene Cusic Classic at the Cape Coral Sports Complex, Nichols and Transvylvania defeated Bates by scores of 5-2 and 14-1, respectively.

On Thursday, the Bobcats (0-4) opened the 2007 season with a 3-2 loss to Framingham State and a 5-4 loss to Richard Stockton.

Nichols 5, Bates 2: Bates had five hits but four errors in the loss to Nichols, despite the efforts of sophomore catcher Stacia Saniuk (Sharon, Mass.), who went 2-for-3 with a run. Junior OF Beth Lakin (Tacoma, Wash.) went 1-3 with a run, while sophomore Molly Ritner (Wynnewood, Pa.) and first-year Jill Cappucci (Saugus, Mass.) collected Bates' two RBIs. Senior Kristin Masino (North Arlington, N.J.) took the loss, giving up five runs (two earned) on seven hits.

Transvylania 14, Bates 1: Transylvania pounded out 14 runs (12 earned) on 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings against Bates sophomore starting pitcher Christina Knobel (Walpole, Mass.), while Bates offset five hits with four errors. Cappucci went 1-2 with an RBI.

Framingham State 3, Bates 2 (Thursday): Saniuk (2-3) and sophomore Leah Citrin (Rye Brook, N.Y.) each went 2-3 with an RBI apiece as part of Bates' seven-hit attack, while Masino suffered the loss.

Richard Stockton 5, Bates 4 (Thursday): Bates had a season-high nine hits, including a two-hit, two-RBI collegiate debut by Cappucci. Fellow first-year Jean McIntyre (Marshfield, Mass.) went 2-4 with a run scored, while Saniuk went 1-4 with two RBIs and Citrin added a hit and a run. Knobel took the loss, giving up four hits, including two home runs.

Bates finishes play in Florida on Saturday with games against Ohio Wesleyan (9 a.m.) and Eastern Nazarene (11 a.m.).