CLERMONT, Fla  -- Bates College softball concluded its season-opening, week-long appearance in The Spring Games with setbacks vs. Elmhurst University (Ill.) and Buffalo State University Saturday.

GAME ONE (Elmhurst University 11, Bobcats 8)

In a wild, back-and-forth opening contest, Elmhurst escaped with an 11-8 triumph over Bates. The Bobcats kicked off the scoring with a tally in the top of the first inning. The Blue Jays (6-4) proceeded to plate two runs in the home half of the first, followed by one more in the second and four in the third to take a seemingly commanding 7-1 lead after three full.

Playing hard-nosed softball all week long, the garnet and white came all the way back to take the lead with seven runs on eight hits in the top of the fourth. Maggie Hillwig (So.-Phoenix, Md.), who collected a single earlier in the inning, brought home the go-ahead run with her second knock of the stanza. LF Sarah Cooke (So.-Wenham, Mass.) (2B, 2 RBI), 1B Katherine Merisotis (Sr.-Conventry, Conn.) (1B, RBI) and CF Cassidy Musco (Sr.-Walpole, Mass.) (1B, RBI) also brought in runs with big efforts at the dish in the frenzy of a frame.

Now holding a slim 8-7 advantage, the Bobcats could not ground the Blue Jays as Elmhurst answered with the tying tally in the bottom of the fifth before sealing the victory with a subsequent three-spot in the sixth.

Both squads smacked 11 hits apiece in a game that lasted 2:06.

Musco (3-for-5, 2 R), Hillwig (2-for-4), and DP Delaney Rankin (Fy.-St. Johnsbury, Vt.) (2-for-4) each contributed multi-hit performances at the plate for the Bobcats.

Hillwig (ND) went 4.1 innings in the start for Bates (8 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 5 K, BB). Meristosis (2-1) came out of the bullpen with one out in the fifth and ended up taking the loss (1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB).

Ali Mockenhaupt recorded her first collegiate win, authoring four innings of scoreless relief for the Blue Jays (4.0 IP, 3 H, K).

GAME TWO (Buffalo State 13, Bobcats 3) (6 inn.)

Buffalo State University plated runs in all but one inning as the Bengals buried Bates 13-3, giving the Bobcats their first mercy-rule defeat of the season.

With the game knotted at 1-1 after one, the Bengals' offense pounced with three runs in the top of the second, followed by two in the fourth, three in the fifth, and four more in the sixth to seal the win. Buffalo State smacked 17 hits in the rout.

Madison Lucas (4-2) went the distance to earn the victory (6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 K). Rankin (2-1) suffered the setback for Bates (5.2 IP, 15 H, 13 R, 9 ER, 4 BB, 3 K).

C Kennedy Jones (Fy.-Ocean Springs, Miss.) connected for two of the Bobcats' six hits (2-for-3, RBI).

The garnet and white (6-4) now returns to campus to open NESCAC play as Bates hosts Middlebury College next Saturday for two games. Start time is set for 12:00 p.m.