LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates softball team received a pair of outstanding pitching performances in a doubleheader sweep of the Thomas College Terriers Wednesday afternoon at Lafayette Street Field.

Bates (5-8) defeated Thomas (5-11) 5-0 in game one and 3-1 in game two. 

Game One: Bates 5, Thomas 0

First-year Maggie Hillwig tossed a complete game two-hit shutout and the Bates softball team defeated Thomas College 5-0 in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Hillwig (Phoenix, Md.) struck out a season-high five batters and needed just 83 pitches to blank the Terriers. 

The Bates offense got things going in the bottom of the second. Junior Lindsey Kim (Palo Alto, Calif.) singled to center to start the frame. Hillwig reached on a fielder's choice and Kim was safe at second when the Thomas second baseman couldn't handle the throw. Then senior captain Emily Samar (New York City) singled to center, loading the bases with nobody out.

Senior Eliza McNulty (Cambridge, Mass.) followed with a single through the left side, going the opposite way to drive in Kim and put Bates up 1-0.

Bates added to the lead in the bottom of the third. First-year Sarah Cooke (Wenham, Mass.) reached on an infield single leading off the inning. She stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the Thomas catcher. One out later, Kim drove Cooke home with a slow grounder to short. Kim was safe due to another Terrier error but got left stranded as the next two batters flew out. 

Up 2-0, through three innings, the Bobcats got some insurance in the fourth. McNulty led off with a walk and junior Cassidy Musco (Walpole, Mass.) bunted her way aboard. One out later. senior Kennedy Ishii (Honolulu, Hawaii) drew a walk, loading the bases. McNulty scored on a wild pitch and Cooke delivered a clutch two-RBI single to right, making the score 5-0 in favor of the Bobcats.

That's all Hillwig (2-6) needed, as the rookie turned in the best performance of her young career. The Bobcats finished game one with seven hits, three of them from Cooke who went 3-3 with a run scored, two RBIs, a walk, and a stolen base.
 
Game Two: Bates 3, Thomas 1

Senior Danielle Polirer tossed a complete game five-hitter and the Bates softball team defeated Thomas College 3-1 in game two of Wednesday's doubleheader, completing the sweep of the Terriers.

Polirer (Bellmore, N.Y.) struck out a season-high eight batters in the victory. 

Once again, Cooke sparked the offense for Bates. She doubled with two outs in the bottom of the third in a scoreless contest. Ishii reached on an error and Cooke scored when the Thomas second baseman attempted to cover first but dropped the throw from the first baseman on a grounder to the right side

With the Bobcats up 1-0 through five innings, Ishii started things off in the sixth with an infield single. She stole second and advanced to third on a Kim single. Kim stole second and with two outs the Bobcats sent sophomore Cameron Jones-McNally (Marcellus, Mich.) to the plate as a pinch hitter.

She delivered in a big way, singling to center and driving in Ishii and Kim to make the score 3-0 in favor of the Bobcats.

Those insurance runs proved to be huge, as Thomas got on the board thanks to a Kelsey Currier RBI single to left. The Terriers brought the go-ahead run to the plate but Polirer (3-2) got Anna Piirainen to ground out to first, ending the game.

Cooke went 2-3 with a double and a run scored in game, pacing the Bates offense for the second straight game. The Bobcats finished with seven hits in game two. 

Bates returns to NESCAC action on Saturday when the Bobcats visit Colby for a doubleheader that gets underway at 12pm.