LEWISTON, Maine -- The Tufts University softball team needed only five innings to defeat NESCAC East Division rival Bates College 8-0 in a mercy rule-shortened game Friday at Lafayette Street Field.

The Jumbos, who are the first-place team in the NESCAC East, raised their overall record to 23-8 and their divisional record to 9-1. The host Bobcats fell to 6-19 overall, 2-8 NESCAC East.

Tufts got things started with five runs in the first inning off of Bates first-year starter Sarah Cullen (Dover, Mass.), who fell to 3-6 on the season. Junior Laura Chapman (Seattle, Wash.) led off and reached on an error and later scored on a single by junior Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, N.J.). The Jumbos loaded the bases with a pair of walks for junior Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, Conn.), who singled through the left side for two runs. Senior Danielle Lopez (Danvers, Mass.) drove in a fourth run with a sacrifice fly, senior Megan Cusick (Albany, N.Y.) finished off the damage with a one-run double down the left-field line.

The Jumbos added a run in the second and two more in the fourth while first-year pitchers Izzie Santone (Madison, Conn.) and Kim Miner (Concord, Mass.) kept the Bates bats silent. Santone, the starter, threw three shutout innings, allowing two hits. Miner came on to work the fourth and fifth and held Bates hitless while striking out three batters in raising her record to 3-4.

Hovhanessian finished 3-3 on the day with four RBIs. Kuhles was 2-4 with three runs. Tinker and Chapman both scored a pair of runs for Tufts.

Bates senior CF Alex Bethel (Aspen, Colo.) and sophomore 2B Liz Stahler (Lyndonville, Vt.) had Bates' only two hits in the game.

The teams will face each other again tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.

BOX SCORE: Tufts 8, Bates 0