CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bates College softball season has finally begun as the Bobcats opened the 2023 campaign Sunday with contests vs. Grinnell College (Iowa) and SUNY Old Westbury (N.Y.) on day one of The Spring Games.

GAME ONE (Grinnell College 7, Bobcats 1)

Grinnell College plated a pair of runs in the second, third, and sixth innings as the Pioneers (4-2) spoiled Bates' season debut with a 7-1 defeat of the Bobcats.

DP Taylor Durak and 1B Mary Webb provided Grinnell an initial 2-0 lead with solo home runs in the second inning off starting pitcher, Madison Hollis (Fy.- McMinnville, Tenn.), who made her collegiate debut for the garnet-and-white.

Bates, serving as the visiting team, countered in the top of the third as Hollis helped her own cause with an RBI double to left-center, plating CF Cassidy Musco (Sr.-Walpole, Mass.) who had reached via walk one batter earlier.

Leading 2-1, Durak (3-for-4, 3 RBI) and CF Kami Anson (2-for-3) contributed ribbie singles in the bottom of the third frame to put the Pioneers up by three. 3B Samantha Chu (3-for-4) drove in a run in both the fourth and sixth innings, courtesy of a double and a triple, while Durak closed out a solid showing with another RBI base hit during Grinnell's final at-bat.

Christin Hartman (2-1) went the distance to earn the win in the circle for the Pioneers, yielding one run on seven hits (four walks) over seven innings (5 K). Hollis took the defeat (0-1) in the opening-day start, allowing five runs (3 ER) on nine hits and a walk (2 K) in four frames of work.

LF Sarah Cooke (So.-Wenham, Mass.) went 2-for-4 in the lead-off spot for Bates while C Kennedy Jones (Fy.-Ocean Springs, Miss.), making her first collegiate appearance, also went 2-for-4 with the bat. RF Grace Householter (So.-Manhattan Beach, Calif.) reached base three times, courtesy of a single and two walks.

GAME TWO (Bobcats 9, Old Westbury 3)

It would be all Bates in the nightcap as the garnet and white brought around two tallies in the opening inning, followed by a four-run fourth and a three-run sixth en route to the 9-3 triumph vs. the Panthers (1-1).

Jones (2-for-3, 2B, 4 RBI) kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first as the cleanup hitter crushed the first pitch she saw over the wall in left-center for a two-homer, adding to an already memorable collegiate debut for the first-year catcher.

After Old Westbury responded to tie the game at 2-2 with RBI singles in the third and fourth innings, respectively, the Bobcats answered with four runs on three knocks and a pair of Panther miscues in the home half of the fourth to make it 6-2.

A costly two-run, three-base error, followed by a run-inducing passed ball in the sixth by the Old Westbury defense, seemingly sealed the "W" for Bates.

Three other Bobcats joined Jones with multi-hit showings. Hollis ripped a pair doubles and scored three runs, giving the first-year a trio of two-baggers on her first day sporting the garnet and white. Musco paced the lineup with a 3-for-4 (2B, 2 R) performance at the plate while first-year SS, Ella Maher (Newton, Mass.), recorded the first two knocks of her career.

Starting pitcher, Maggie Hillwig (Phoenix, Md.), was simply outstanding in the victory as the sophomore hurler yielded three runs (2 ER) on six hits (4 BB) en route to the complete-game (7.0 IP) win. Hillwig (1-0), who set the tone early for the Bobcats by collecting four consecutive strikeouts to start the game, finished with a career-high 11 K's.  

Bates (1-1) returns to action Monday with games vs. the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Carleton College (Minn.) at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. in Winter Haven, Fla.