Webster	McManus
Dobish	Ullmann

WATERVILLE, Maine -- Brittany Tasi (Shelton, Conn.) threw a shutout in the opener, teammate Lauren Becker (Falls Church, Va.) did the same in the nightcap, and Alex Essman (Littleton, Mass.) homered in both games for the Colby College softball team in a doubleheader sweep of Bates College on Saturday at Crafts Field.

Tasi tossed a five-hitter in a 5-0 win in the opener, while Becker won her sixth game of the season with a four-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory in the second contest. The Mules have won five straight games and moved to 11-16 overall and 3-6 in NESCAC East play. Bates falls to 4-19 overall and 0-10 in the division.

Tasi struck out one and walked none, while allowing five hits to the Bobcats. Sophomore Kelly McManus (Plymouth, N.H.) went 2-for-3 in the game, while sophomore Kiely Webster (Bethesda, Md.) had a pinch-hit single. Sophomores Karen Ullmann (Ramsey, N.J.) and Lauren Dobish (Chambersburg, Pa.) also had hits.

Katie Graichen (Arundel, Maine) had an RBI single to drive in Alyssa Lepore (Victor, N.Y.) in the second inning and Lindsay Peterson (Fairfield, Conn.) smacked an RBI double to score Lizzi Fort (Wilmette, Ill.) for a 2-0 lead after two innings.

Allyson Cheever (Augusta, Maine) led off the third with a double and scored on a Bates throwing error that allowed Barbara Santos (Topsfield, Mass.) to reach second base. Essman followed with a two-run homer for the final runs of the game.

Graichen and Fort both had two hits in the opener for Colby.

Becker moved to 6-5 on the season with five strikeouts and four walks in the nightcap.

Lepore went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI to lead Colby's offense. Essman had two hits and three RBI, while Cheever scored twice and had one hit.

Colby scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning after the first two batters were out. Santos reached on an error and went to second base, Lepore singled, Essman followed with another single to score Santos, and Fort ripped an RBI double to bring in Lepore.

Cheever led off with a single in the third inning, moved to second on a sacrifice by Santos, and scored on Lepore's double. Essman added her third homer (she also hit one Friday against Bates) of the weekend to score two more runs.

The Mules added the final run when Cheever got on by a fielder's choice and scored on another double by Lepore in the fourth inning.

Webster went 2-for-3 in the designated player spot to lead Bates in the second game. Dobish went 1-for-2 with a double.

Bates will host Husson in a doubleheader on Monday starting at 4 p.m.; the games were added to the schedule this week.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score