LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates baseball team left nine runners on base in a 7-4 loss to the Bowdoin College Polar Bears Friday afternoon at Leahey Field.

Bowdoin (14-12, 3-7 NESCAC) scored five runs in the sixth inning to take command of the game. Polar Bear starting pitcher Jason Bogdanos (2-3) scattered seven hits over eight innings pitched, allowing just one run and striking out three to earn the win. 

The Bobcats (16-13, 1-9 NESCAC) repeatedly threatened to score but were kept off the scoreboard by Bogdanos in the early innings. Junior Luke Linnehan (Hingham, Mass.) worked a 1-2-3 top of the first, and Bates got the first batters of the bottom of the first on base. Junior Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.) got hit by a pitch and junior Christopher Cimino (Scarborough, Maine) singled him to second. Bogdanos was able to get a pop out and a fly out before the Bobcats pulled off a double steal to put runners at second and third. But a ground out to short ended the inning.

The Polar Bears got on the board in the top of the third. With one out, Nick Merrill singled to left and Liam Foley reached on an infield single. A wild pitch moved both runners up 90 feet and Ben McKenzie drove in the first run of the game with a ground out to short. 

Bates answered in the bottom of the third. With one away, Brennan reached on a bunt single. Cimino drew a walk and senior captain Tyler Attal (Los Angeles) singled in Brennan, advancing to second on the throw to third as Cimino was able to take the extra base. With the game tied at one, and runners at second and third, the Bobcats had another golden opportunity. But a pop out and a strikeout ended the inning.

The Bobcats had another chance to take the lead when they put runners at second and third with one away in the fourth. Senior captain John Nowak (Pelham, N.Y. ) singled to start the frame and sophomore Joe Bianchi (Scituate, Mass.) drew a walk. Sophomore Ben Genser (Newton, Mass.) bunted the runners over, but a pair of ground outs ended the inning with the game still tied.

Linnehan (3-5) was cruising along until he faced the Bowdoin lineup for the third time around the order in the sixth inning. A Bates error started the frame and the Polar Bears took advantage with four straight hits. When the dust cleared, they had chased Linnehan from the game and scored five runs on six hits while sending 11 hitters to the plate. 

Bowdoin added an insurance run in the eighth and by the time Attal hit a three-run home run in the ninth it was too little, too late, for the Bobcats.

Bates must win both games of Saturday's doubleheader at Bowdoin in order to make the NESCAC Championships. First pitch is set for 12pm.