Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLINTON, N.Y. -- Bates College departed Hamilton with a softball split on Saturday as the Bobcats pounced for a stellar 8-1 win (8 inn.) in the opener, before dropping the night cap by a 3-2 decision, as the garnet and white moves to 11-8 (5-4 NESCAC) on the year.

GAME ONE (Bobcats 8, Hamilton 1) (8 inn.)

Tied 1-1 after seven innings of action, the Bobcats unloaded for seven runs in the top of the eighth to secure an impressive 8-1 NESCAC road win at Hamilton. 

The Continentals opened the contest with an unearned run in the home half of the first and kept Bates off the scoreboard until the top of the six inning when back-to-back doubles from C Kennedy Jones (Fy.-Ocean Springs, Miss.) and LF Sarah Cooke (So.-Wenham, Mass.) resulted in the equalizer with one out in the frame.

With the game moving to extra innings, the Bobcats wasted no time as Bates batted around to plate its seven runs on three hits, along with a walk, fielding error, and a pair of plunkings by Hamilton pitching.

The mighty blows came off the bats of Madison Hollis (2-for-5), who ripped a bases-loaded, three run double to center to make it 6-1; and the aforementioned Jones (3-for-4), who jacked a two-run two-bagger to left-center to bring in the Bobcats' final pair.

1B Rachel Liazos (Jr.-Westborough, Mass.) (2-for-4, RBI) and CF Cassidy Musco (Sr.-Walpole, Mass.) (2-for-5) also recorded multiple hits for the garnet and white.

Hollis (Fy.-McMinnville, Tenn.) proved to be even more impressive in the circle as the first-year hurler went all eight innings for the victory (4-3), permitting just the one unearned run on 10 hits and a walk (3 K). 

GAME TWO (Hamilton 3, Bobcats 2)

A 2-0 first-inning lead for Bates, courtesy of RBI from SS Ella Maher (Fy.-Newton, Mass.) and RF Grace Householter (So.-Manhattan Beach, Calif.), would not stick as Hamilton plated a lone run in the fourth and another pair in the fifth to salvage a split on the day with a 3-2 nightcap win vs. the Bobcats.

Emma Tansky, who relieved starting pitcher Teagan Graham with one out in the first frame, provided 6.2 innings of scoreless relief (2 H, 2 BB, 6 K) to earn the victory for the Continentals. Delaney Rankin (Fy.-St. Johnsbury, Vt.) went the distance for the Bobcats, permitting three runs on six hits (1 BB, 1 K) over six innings for Bates.

Bates gets right back at it on Sunday with a NESCAC twin-bill at Amherst slated for 12:00 p.m.