Sophomore Connor Russell (Cumberland, Maine) went seven strong innings in game two and senior Rob DiFranco (Melrose, Mass.) earned his third save of the season and the fifth of his career in his final game in a Bates uniform. 

Game One: Williams 10, Bates 1 (7 innings)

Luke Rodino tossed six innings of two-hit ball and the Ephs' offense did the rest in a 10-1 victory over the Bobcats in game one of Saturday's doubleheader.

Rodino (5-3) allowed only one run and struck out nine Bobcats along the way to pick up the win.

The Ephs broke a scoreless tie with a three-run third inning. With one away, Jack Cloud drew a walk. Doug Schaffer doubled him to third and Kellen Hatheway reached on an infield single. Cloud scored on the play and the throw to first got away, allowing Schaffer to score as well. With two outs, Nathan Michalski singled home a run to make it 3-0 in favor of Williams.

The Bobcats didn't get a runner on base until the bottom of the third when first-year Christian Colon (Hamden, Conn.) drew a walk. He advanced to second on a passed ball but was left stranded.

The Ephs tallied two more runs in the fourth on a bases loaded hit by pitch and an Adam Regensburg RBI single.

Sophomore Connor Speed (San Diego, Calif.) started the game for Bates and went four innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He walked three and struck out four.

Sophomore Asher MacDonald (Hillsborough, N.C.) recorded the Bobcats' first hit of the game with a lead-off single in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Brendan Fox (West Hartford, Conn.) got hit by a pitch but a strike out and a double play ended the inning.

The Ephs tallied two unearned runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 7-0. Bates made a total of four errors in the game.

The Bobcats got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. With one away, junior captain Ryan McCarthy (Plaistow, N.H.) got hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a wild pitch and with two away first-year Daniel Trulli (Melrose, Mass.) doubled him home to cut the deficit to 7-1.

The Ephs scored three more times in the top of the seventh to secure the final margin of victory. A wild pitch plated a run and Regensburg doubled in two more.

Bates only recorded three hits in game one. Besides MacDonald and Trulli, junior Brendon Canavan (Carlisle, Mass.) also tallied a base knock, a seventh inning single.

Game Two: Bates 3, Williams 2

Fox's "mad dash" around the bases in the bottom of the eighth plated the go-ahead run in the Bobcats' 3-2 victory over the Ephs in game two of Saturday's doubleheader. 

With the game tied at two, Fox got the eighth inning started with a single. With one away, Fox scampered to second on a pitch in the dirt. The throw to second went into center field and Fox hustled to third. The throw to third went into the dugout and Fox scored to give Bates the lead for good. 

DiFranco was in complete control in the ninth as he tossed a 1-2-3 frame. He got Tom Benz to ground back to the mound. Then the next two batters grounded out to fellow senior captain Conor Reenstierna (Lincoln, Mass.) to end the game and give DiFranco a save in his final collegiate appearance. 

Russell did not get a decision but was outstanding on the mound. He scattered five hits over seven innings while allowing only one run (it was unearned), walking one and striking out five.

Bates got on the board first, tallying a run in the bottom of the second. Senior Evan Czopek (Portland, Ore.) doubled to get things started and Trulli bunted him to third. Sophomore Jake Shapiro (Sandy, Utah) singled in Czopek, putting Bates up 1-0. 

In the bottom of the third, MacDonald singled to lead-off the inning. McCarthy singled him to second and Fox bunted both runners up 90 feet.

Senior Samuel Warren (Norfolk, Va.) continued his excellent season with an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0.

A Bates error allowed the lead-off man for Williams to reach in the top of the fifth and he eventually came around to score on a double play ball. 

Then the Ephs tied it in the eighth. Junior Anthony Telesca (Holtsville, N.Y.) entered the game out of the bullpen and struck out the first batter he faced. But an infield single and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position with two outs. Adam Dulsky hit a ball that bounced high off the pitcher's mound to second. Reenstierna's throw to first was not in time and the runner came flying home all the way from second base, beating Czopek's throw and tying the game. 

But then Fox's own dash around the bases put the Bobcats on top and gave Telesca (4-1) the win. 

Warren went 2-4 with an RBI. Czopek and sophomore Reed Mszar (Manassas, Va.) both tallied a double in the game. MacDonald finished the contest 2-2 with a run scored. 

The Bobcats conclude the 2016 baseball season with a 14-21 record.