LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates softball team and Colby played a wild NESCAC game on Sunday, with the Bobcats falling to the Mules by a final score of 16-13.

It's the most combined runs in a Bates softball game since 2010. 

Bates (5-11, 0-6 NESCAC) fell behind 8-0 after one inning of action. The Bobcats got one back in the second and three back in the third. First-year Sarah Cooke (Wenham, Mass.) sparked the offense, going 4-5 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. She singled to lead off the third and eventually scored on an RBI single from senior captain Janell Sato (Honolulu, Hawaii).

First-year Maggie Hillwig (Phoenix, Md.) had a big game as well, going 3-3 with an RBI. She singled in Sato in the second to cut the deficit to 8-3. 

With the score 8-4, Colby (14-8, 3-0 NESCAC) scored four runs in the top of the fourth. But the Bobcats answered with four of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Rachel Liazos (Westborough, Mass.) smacked a solo home run in the inning, the first of her collegiate career.

The Mules went up 16-8 with four runs in the top of the fifth, putting pressure on the Bobcats to score in the bottom half of the inning, or else the game would be over due to the 8-run rule.

And the Bobcats did just that, scoring three to cut the deficit to 16-11. Senior Aleah Pagan (Orinda, Calif.) tripled to start the frame and junior Cassidy Musco (Walpole, Mass.) hit the first home run of her collegiate career. Cooke followed with a single to center and then she stole second base. With two outs, junior Lindsey Kim (Palo Alto, Calif.) singled home Cooke for the third run of the inning.

Down five, the Bobcats continued to chip away in the sixth. Hillwig singled through the right side and Pagan reached on an infield single. An error plated one run and Musco delivered an RBI grounder to make the score 16-13.

Sato led off the seventh with a single but Sam Ahlholm was able to get the final three outs as the Mules hung on to defeat Bates.

The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday when they visit UMaine-Farmington for a doubleheader, with first pitch at 3pm.