Paul Chiampa '11 earned his first collegiate save, inducing a game-ending double play. (Scott Linscott photo)

BANGOR, Maine -- The Bates College baseball team rapped out 17 hits and held on for a 7-6 non-conference victory at Husson College on Sunday.

Bates (10-19) scored three runs in the top of the ninth for a 7-3 cushion, but the Eagles (14-21) put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the ninth. With one out and the bases loaded, Bates first-year pitcher Paul Chiampa (Bryantville, Mass.) induced Brian McGinley to line out to Bates sophomore 2B Josh Linscott (Portland, Maine), who caught Devan Knight off of second base by throwing to senior SS Brian Mahoney (Sudbury, Mass.) to end the threat and the game.

Bates junior Ben Thayer (Gorham, Maine) pitched two innings in relief of sophomore starter Custer Cook (Philadelphia, Pa.) and earned the win to move to 1-0. Cook allowed three runs, two earned, over 6 1/3 innings in one of his finest outings to date.

Chiampa earned the save, the first of his career and the second for a Bates pitcher this season.

The lead changed hands twice after Husson scored one run in the first. Then Husson tied the game 3-3 in the seventh as Ryan Arsenault doubled and came home on a single by Tom Crews.

But Bates got the lead back (4-3) in the eighth, when first-year OF Rich Velotta (Fairfield, Conn.) led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a fielder's choice and scored on sophomore Tom Beaton's (West Newbury, Mass.) single.

The Bobcats looked to be in command when they added three in the top of the ninth for a 7-3 lead. Mahoney led off with a double and came home on first-year 3B Jake Simon's (Waterford, Conn.) single. Senior DH Rob Patton (Darien, Conn.) doubled to score Simon, and his pinch runner, first-year Pat Murphy (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), later scored on a single by first-year C Gordy Webb (Hampden, Maine).

Senior 2B Denis Hogan (Franklin, Mass.) was 3-3 at the plate for Bates. Mahoney was 2-3 with two RBIs. and senior 1B Erik Hood (Berlin, N.H.) went 3-5. Beaton, Simon, Velotta and Webb all went 2-5 on the day.

Bates plays a non-conference doubleheader at UMaine-Farmington on Tuesday, starting at 1 p.m.

BOX SCORE: Bates 7, Husson 6