SALEM, Mass. – Bates College baseball beat Salem State University 8-5 in game two after Salem St. took a 5-3 win over Bates in game one in a doubleheader at Salem State Baseball Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Bobcats (5-7) struck for five runs in the top of the sixth of game two to pull away from the Vikings (6-8) after the Vikings scored twice in the bottom of the fifth in game one to break up a 3-3 tie and top the Bobcats. Both games went seven innings.
Next, Bates begins NESCAC play with a game against Tufts on Friday at 3 p.m.
Game One Recap – Salem St. 5, Bates 3 (7 innings)
Bates captured a 3-2 lead after the top of the fourth, but Salem State recorded a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to seize a 5-3 win in game one.
Salem St. starter Sean Buckland (1-0) pitched a complete-game seven innings, striking out four and allowing three earned runs in the win.
For the Bobcats, senior Griff Tewksbury (Concord, N.H.), classmate Kevin Davis (North Andover, Mass.), and junior Mekae Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) each charted two hits with Tewksbury and Hyde tallying an RBI apiece.
Five different Vikings registered RBIs including Richard Fecteau and Kyle McElroy who each notched two hits at the plate.
Salem St. grabbed a 2-0 advantage after the top of the first as Fecteau hit an RBI double in the home team's second at bat of the day, and Alex Toomey hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Bobcats cut their margin in half in the top of the third as Hyde singled to lead off the frame. After advancing to second on a passed ball and moving to third on a sacrifice bunt from junior Alex Parker (Lewiston, Maine), Hyde came home on an RBI single from Tewksbury.
Bates captured a 3-2 lead in the top half of the fourth as Hyde plated sophomore Berto Diaz (Carson, Calif.) and junior Rockwell Jackson (Fort Worth, Texas) each of whom singled. The hosts tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a run and tacked on two more runs in the next frame to gain their 5-3 advantage.
Bates senior right-hander Dean Bonneau (Amherst, Mass.) picked up his first loss of the year (2-1) after lasting 3.2 innings with two strikeouts in the start.
Game Two Recap – Bates 8, Salem St. 5 (7 innings)
Tewksbury and junior Nate Pajka (Douglas, Mass.) each hit home runs, and Bates scored five runs in the top of the sixth to beat Salem St. 8-5 in game two.
The Bobcats profited from a balanced offensive effort as Davis, Jackson, and sophomore Conor Reenstierna (Lincoln, Mass.) each tallied a pair of RBIs.
Bates senior left-hander Brad Reynolds (Lafayette, Colo.) went four innings in the start allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits and struck out three while junior Will Levangie (Frederick, Md.) held the Vikings scoreless over two innings of relief to earn the win (1-1).
Salem St. starter Ed Deren gave up five runs, all earned, on four hits in 5.1 innings in the loss. Kevin Carens, Matt Burgess, and Brett Cahill each had two hits for the Vikings.
Tewksbury led off the game with a solo shot to put Bates up 1-0 after one. After a scoreless second inning, the Vikings posted three runs in the bottom of the third including an RBI single from Cahill. Bates answered in the top of the fourth as Pajka stroked a two-out solo homer to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Bobcats made their rally in the sixth beginning with a one-out double from Parker. Up next, Davis plated him with a double. With the bases loaded and still one out, Jackson came in as a pinch hitter and doubled to bring in Pajka – who was intentionally walked – and Davis. Reenstierna followed with a double of his own to bring in another two runs and give Bates a 7-3 edge.
Bates added a run in the top of the seventh as Diaz doubled to lead off the inning, and Davis knocked him home with a sacrifice fly to left field. The Vikings scored twice in the last of the seventh for the final.
