LEWISTON, Maine – Bates College softball fell twice to Bowdoin College, 7-3 and 8-0, in a doubleheader at Lafayette Street Field on Sunday afternoon, ending the season for Bates and securing a spot in the NESCAC Championship for Bowdoin.

The Polar Bears (22-12, 8-4 NESCAC East) scored four runs in the fifth in game one and four runs in the first in game two to gain separation from the Bobcats (8-20, 2-10 NESCAC East). The two teams had originally planned to play the contests on Saturday before weather forced their postponement.

After facing UMaine-Farmington in a doubleheader on Tuesday, Bowdoin will play at NESCAC Championship host Williams, the top seed in the West Division, on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in day one of the tournament.

Prior to the games, Bates honored senior captain Alayna Garbarino (Reading, Mass.) who posted four assists, a putout, and a run scored on the day.

Game One Recap – Bowdoin 7, Bates 3

Junior Adriane Krul (Ashburnham, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two doubles, and two runs scored as Bowdoin beat Bates in game one, 7-3.

Sophomore pitcher Julia Geaumont (Saco, Maine) went six innings in the win (7-1), striking out six while allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits. Junior Kelsey Freedman (Falmouth, Maine) struck out six over a complete-game seven innings in the loss (5-12).

The Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third as first-year Maddie Inlow (Falmouth, Maine) hit a sacrifice fly to center field which brought home Garbarino. Bowdoin tied the game in the next half inning as a ground ball from Geaumont plated Krul.

After Geaumont retired the side in order in the bottom of the fourth, the Polar Bears scored four runs in the top of the fifth to gain a 5-1 edge. After Bowdoin loaded the bases, Krul stroked a double down the left field line, giving all three runners time to score. Krul later came home on an error to cap the inning's scoring.

Bowdoin stretched its advantage to 7-1 in the top of the sixth as senior Casey Correa (Stamford, Conn.) notched an RBI single up the middle, and sophomore Dimitria Spathakis (Medham, N.J.) picked up an RBI on a ground out.

Bates rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame as sophomore Alex Eliopoulos (Akron, Ohio) and junior Kira Shaikh (Manchester, Conn.) each plated runs with ground outs, but the Bobcats could not complete the rally in the seventh.

Game Two Recap – Bowdoin 8, Bates 0 (5 innings)

Senior Hanna Wurgaft (Montclair, N.J.) and first-year Marisa O'Toole (Scarborough, Maine) each hit home runs as Bowdoin defeated Bates, 8-0, in five innings in game two.

Wurgaft hit a three-run shot to right center, her second of the season, in the top of the first and O'Toole tallied her first round tripper of the year with a solo shot to right field in the third. Krul, Correa, and junior Cielle Collins (New Castle, N.H.) each had two hits.

Senior Melissa DellaTorre (Scarborough, Maine) struck out nine batters in a complete-game, shutout win (8-4) while Freedman pitched all five innings for Bates, fanning six batters and giving up eight runs, five earned, on nine hits.

Bowdoin captured a 4-0 lead after the top of the first as first-year Emily Griffin (Tucson, Ariz.) brought in a run with a ground out before Wurgaft charted her three-run blast. The visitors pushed their lead to 6-0 in the top of the second as two runs scored on wild pitches.

O'Toole gave the Polar Bears a 7-0 edge in the third with her solo home run with one out, and Bowdoin staked itself to its 8-0 advantage with a run off an error in the top of the fourth.

The Bobcats threatened in the last half of the frame as Inlow doubled to right center with one out. Sophomore Anna Berenson (Topsfield, Mass.) moved her over to third with a ground out before DellaTorre recorded the inning's final out and faced the minimum in the fifth.