Katie Franklin '07	Stacia Saniuk '09
Jill Cappucci '10	Val Beckwith '09

GORHAM, Maine – The Bates College softball team split its final doubleheader of the season Monday at the University of Southern Maine, taking the first game 11-6 before the host Huskies won the nightcap 15-3.

Suffering a loss and a win in its final regular season contests of the season, Southern Maine stands at 18-20 overall. The Bobcats are now 6-17.

Senior SS Christen Lachapelle (Farmingdale, Maine) was 2-for-4 with four runs batted in to lead the Huskies in the second game.

Lachapelle was responsible for both of the Huskies run in the bottom of the second inning, stroking a two-out double to right center field. The double was Lachapelle's ninth of the season and 35th of her career, placing her second all-time in career doubles at USM.

Bates cut the USM lead to a run in the top of the third. Senior SS Caitlin Murphy (Westwood, Mass.) reached base safely on a single and then came around to score on a pair of USM errors on the play.

Southern Maine answered back in the bottom of the inning, however, plating 10 runs on a string of eight consecutive hits while sending 14 batters to the plate.

Bates took back two runs in the top of the fourth. Freshman 2B Liz Stahler (Lyndonville, Va.) blasted an RBI triple to right field to score sophomore 3B Leah Citrin (Rye Brook, N.Y.), who led off the inning with a single. The Bobcats plated their second run of the inning on a two-out pinch hit single up the middle from senior Rashel Burton (Oxnard, Calif.) before Grondin got the final out of the inning on a pop out.

Grondin picked up her 14th win of the season, giving up seven hits and two earned runs in five innings pitched. She struck out four batters and did not allow a walk. Bates sophomore Christina Knobel (Walpole, Mass.) took the loss in 2.1 innings pitch. She allowed nine earned runs on 11 hits.

In the first game, Bates struck for five runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to the 11-6 win. The Bobcats jumped on USM freshman pitcher Danielle Potvin (Sabattus, Maine) for three runs on three hits. After a one-out single from first-year OF Jean McIntyre (Marshfield, Mass.), the Bobcats used back-to-back home runs from Franklin and Saniuk to take a quick 3-0 lead.

Potvin was lifted for sophomore pitcher Sarah Coonradt (Richmond, Maine) and the Bobcats tallied two more runs on an RBI single from sophomore 1B Val Beckwith (Woburn, Mass.) and one of USM's seven fielding errors during the game.

Southern Maine cut the Bates lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double down the right field line from Sevigny, but the Bobcats would plate four runs in the third and two more in the sixth to secure the win.

Franklin, Saniuk and Beckwith each had two RBIs for the Bobcats on two hits apiece, while first-year DH Jill Cappucci (Saugus, Mass.) was 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.

Potvin suffered the loss for USM. Senior pitcher Kristin Masino (North Arlington, Mass.) earned her fifth win of the season, allowing three earned runs on eight hits in seven solid innings.

Bates plays its final game of the season Tuesday against Bowdoin at 5 p.m.

-- USM Sports Information

BOX SCORE: Bates 11, USM 6 (Game 1)

BOX SCORE: USM 15, Bates 3 (Game 2)