WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Bates baseball team scored four runs in the third inning and three more in the fifth on their way to an 8-4 victory over Chatham University Sunday morning, completing an undefeated weekend at the RussMatt Invitational. 

Bates is 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2010. 

Trailing 2-1, the Bobcats took the lead for good on Sunday with four runs in the bottom of the third.

Junior Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.) doubled down the left field line to start the frame. Fellow junior Christopher Cimino (Scarborough, Maine) singled to center, driving in Brennan and tying the game at two. Senior Henry Jamieson (St. Simons Island, Ga.) doubled Cimino to third and sophomore Brandon Biggane (Rensselaer, N.Y.) doubled in both runners, putting Bates up 4-2. Senior captain John Nowak (Pelham, N.Y.) drew a walk and Biggane stole third on ball four. Fellow senior captain Tyler Attal (Los Angeles) delivered a sacrifice fly, driving in Biggane to extend the lead to 5-2.

With the lead at 5-3, the Bobcats got three key insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. 

Biggane started the inning with a single down the left field line. Nowak got hit by a pitch and Attal singled in Biggane from second base, with Nowak advancing to third. Attal stole second and sophomore Brennan Kelley (Huntersville, N.C.) drew a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Nowak for the second run of the inning and junior Dylan Azcarate (Tiburon, Calif.) walked to reload the bases. Senior Drew Fallon (Mansfield, Mass.) drove in Attal with a ground out to short and Bates led 8-3.

With the bases loaded for Chatham (3-1) and one out in the top of the seventh, the Bobcats brought in junior Sam Hough (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) to put out the fire. He struck out the first batter he faced and got a fly out to end the inning. A run did score on a passed ball but the Bobcats emerged from the seventh inning with the lead intact at 8-4.

Hough earned the save, tossing 2.2 shutout innings to wrap up the victory for Bates. First-year John Tully (Framingham, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win with three innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen in relief of starting pitcher junior Corbin McAlpine (Boxborough, Mass.), who struck out five batters in three innings to start the game, allowing two runs on just one hit. 

Zach Oddi (1-1) took the loss for the Cougars, allowing five runs on seven hits in three innings pitched to start the game. 

Every Bates starter recorded at least one hit and the Bobcats tallied 11 hits as a team in the contest, five of which were doubles. Bates pitching held the Cougars to five hits. Cimino and Biggane tallied two hits apiece, with Biggane also scoring twice and driving in two runs. Attal finished 1-3 with two RBI and a run scored.

The Bobcats are back in action a week from Wednesday on March 8 when they visit No. 12 nationally ranked Endicott for a 4pm first pitch.