LEWISTON, Maine -- Senior captain Christian Beal recorded his third career four-hit game in his final one as a Bobcat but the Bates baseball team fell 20-3 to the Colby College Mules Sunday at Leahey Field.

Bates (1-7) never led, but was within striking distance for half the contest. Colby (12-10) scored three in the sixth and 10 in the seventh to pull away for the win.

Beal (Flossmoor, Ill.) finishes his Bates career with a .354 batting average (75-212) after he went 4-5 with two doubles, a run scored and two RBIs on Sunday. He will play at NCAA Division I program Richmond next season. 

The Mules scored twice against Bates senior captain starting pitcher Peter Schuldt (Winnetka, Ill.) in the top of the first inning.

With one out, Brady O'Brien doubled to right-center. Cabot Maher reached on a Bobcat error and Andrew Russell singled through the left side to plate O'Brien. With two away, Cole Palmeri singled in Maher and Colby led 2-0.

Bates got one back against Colby starter Nicholas Thompson in the bottom of the first. Beal reached on an infield single to start the frame and one out later fellow senior captain Noah Loughlin (Mililani, Hawaii) singled him to second. Then with runners at the corners and two away, sophomore Alex Ross (Ridgefield, Conn.) ripped a single down the left field line to drive in Beal, trimming the Colby edge to one.

But the Mules struck back in a big way against Schuldt (0-3) in the top of the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Maher launched a grand slam over the left field fence, extending their lead to 6-1.

The Bobcats pressured Thompson again in the bottom of the second and tallied another run. With two outs and nobody on, first-year Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.) drew a walk. He advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a Beal double to left-center. Senior captain Colin Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) followed with a walk but both runners were left stranded.

The Mules brought in Matthew Scibilio (1-1) to pitch in the third and he ended up pitching four innings of shutout ball to earn the win.

With Bates down 6-2, Schudlt finished his career on a high note by retiring the side in order in the third and getting a pair of outs in the fourth before being replaced on the mound by junior Ian Tolis (Madison, Conn.). Tolis struck out Maher to end the fourth inning, leaving a runner stranded.

The score remained 6-2 until the sixth when the Mules got to Tolis for three runs. 

With the bases loaded and one out, Maher snuck a ground ball past a diving Coyne at second base, driving in two runs. Then a Russell grounder plated another, making the score 9-2. Russell reached due to an error on the play but Tolis struck out back-to-back batters to avoid further damage.

Colby really put the game out of reach with 10 runs in the seventh on nine hits. Henry Suarez and Charlie Furlong both recorded two hits in the inning alone. 

Noah Reichman added a solo home run in the eighth to complete the scoring for Colby.

The Bobcats scored one run in the ninth. With one away, sophomore Robert Curbelo III (Miami, Fla.) drew a walk. Then with two down, Beal doubled home pinch runner first-year Christopher Cimino (Scarborough, Maine) for his fourth hit of the afternoon.

The Mules tallied 19 hits on the day and the Bobcats recorded nine. Bates committed five errors, although only one factored in the scoring. Brennan went 1-2 at the plate, picking up his first collegiate hit with a single to left in the fourth.

Sunday's game marked the final one of a second straight abbreviated year for Bates. The Bobcats hope to play a full schedule in 2022.