CLERMONT, Fla. – Bates College softball dropped a pair of games on Opening Day, falling to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in its first game, 8-5, before losing to Hood College 10-1 in the National Training Center Spring Games at Hancock Park on Thursday.

In their first game under first-year head coach McKell Barnes, the Bobcats (0-2) took an early lead before conceding to the Engineers (5-3). The Blazers (6-4) defeated Bates in five innings in the second game of the day for both teams.

Next, Bates continues play at the NTC Spring Games tomorrow with contests against Transylvania University (5 p.m.) and Becker College (7 p.m.).

Alayna Garbarino '14 makes a throw during Bates' game against Hood on Mar. 13, 2014. (Photo by Risley Sports Photography)

Game One Recap – WPI 8, Bates 5

Bates took a 3-0 lead after the top of the first, but WPI captured a 7-3 lead after two innings on its way to an 8-5 win in the Bobcats' season opener.

WPI's Clare Doolin picked up the win, pitching a complete-game seven innings with four strikeouts while Bates senior Kelsey Freedman (Falmouth, Maine) struck out nine and allowed four earned runs over six innings in the loss.

For the Engineers, Kristin Gallagher, Katie Bumila, and Lauren DiFelice each recorded two hits while center fielder Nicole McDonough hit a home run.

First-year shortstop Maddie Inlow (Auburn, Maine) notched a home run of her own, going 2-for-2 in her collegiate debut for the Bobcats. Senior Alayna Garbarino (Reading, Mass.), sophomore Alex Eliopoulos (Akron, Ohio), and classmate Melissa Paione (Auburn, Maine) each tallied RBIs.

The Bobcats struck first after Garbarino singled to right field with the bases loaded in the top of the first. With the bases still loaded, Eliopoulos reached on a fielder's choice to bring in the Bobcats' second run. Paione then plated a run with two outs on a single to center field as Bates took its 3-0 lead.

WPI responded with three unearned runs, all with two outs, in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 3-3. With runners on second and third Juliana Fekete singled up the middle to plate them both before DiFelice doubled in the team's third run.

After a scoreless top of the second for Bates, WPI posted four runs in the bottom half of the frame, with all of the runs once again coming with two outs, to grab its 7-3 edge. Gallagher knocked in a run with a triple, Bumila singled in another run, and McDonough cracked a two-run homer for the Engineers in the inning.

Bates tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the third on Inlow's two-run home run to pull within 7-5 but could not complete the rally. WPI added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.

Game Two Recap – Hood 10, Bates 1 (5 innings)

Freedman knocked in a run with an RBI double in the bottom of the third but Bates fell to Hood, 10-1, in five innings in its second game of the day.

Junior Brenna Callahan (Milton, Mass.) gave up just two earned runs on eight hits with one strike out in the loss. Hood's Keerstie Robinson (3-2) allowed just the one run on seven hits while striking out five in the win.

For Hood, shortstop Carly Farr went 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI, Katie Jenkins went 2-for-2, and Melissa Canulli recorded a pair of RBIs.

After junior center fielder Molly Brown (South Dartmouth, Mass.) singled with two outs in the third, Freedman plated her with her extra-base hit.

The Blazers tallied four runs in the top of the first and added another three runs in the top of the second to take a 7-0 lead before the Bobcats got on the board in the bottom half of the third.

Hood pushed its advantage to 9-1 in the top of the fourth inning and tacked on its 10^th run in the next frame.