LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates College, finally making its 2023 Lafayette Street Field debut Friday, rebounded from a game one loss to visiting Bowdoin College in a big way as the Bobcats blasted three home runs in a mercy-rule game two triumph over the Polar Bears to secure a crucial NESCAC softball split.

GAME ONE (Bowdoin 13, Bates 5 ) (6 inn.)

After posting crooked numbers with three runs in the third inning and six more fifth, Bowdoin College put the contest well out of reach with a four-spot in the sixth to put away the Bobcats, 13-5, in just six innings to open the NESCAC twin-bill.

Bates, trailing by a slim score of 3-2 after three innings of action, actually took a 5-3 advantage with three tallies in the home fourth, highlighted by a huge two-run double to the left-center gap off the bat of CF Cassidy Musco (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI).

CF Angelina Meyers blasted a loud lead-off home run to left in the sixth for Bowdoin, putting the visitors to within one run at 5-4. The Polar Bears (12-12, 5-5 NESCAC) proceeded to bat around in the stanza, plating six total runs on six hits, two Bobcat fielding miscues, and a walk to create a healthy 9-5 cushion. LF Sydney Lang claimed the final mighty blow in the sixth, crunching a three-run homer to right-center in what would be a four-score frame for the eventual victors.

Maddie Currant (6-3) went the distance for the Polar Bears, permitting five runs (3 ER) on seven hits and a walk (3 K) over 6.0 IP to earn the victory. Delaney Rankin (3-2) took the loss in the circle for Bates.

C Amanda Taylor, despite the result, posted a 2-for-3 showing at the dish with one run scored.

GAME TWO (Bates 13, Bowdoin 1) (5 inn.)

The Bates' bats answered back mightily in game two as the Bobcats ripped 10 hits in a 13-1, five-inning rout of the Polar Bears.

The onslaught took shape immediately in the home half of the first as the garnet and white plated five runs in the initial frame, highlighted by a two-run homer from LF Sarah Cooke and a three-blast off the bat of RF Grace Householter. Householter, who finished the contest with four RBI, went deep for the first time in her collegiate career.

C Kennedy Jones followed with a solo shot to center in the second (her second of the year), as Bates pushed its lead to 7-0 with a two-run inning.

Angelina Meyers, doing all she could to get the Polar Bears back into the game, unloaded for her second dinger of the doubleheader in the fourth as the Bowdoin CF deposited a solo shot over the centerfield wall to make the score 7-1 'Cats.

Bates put the game on ice with six runs on four hits and a Bowdoin fielding blunder in the home fourth as the Bobcats secured their third mercy-rule triumph of the season.

Madison Hollis (2-2) earned the complete-game victory for the home team, yielding one run (1 ER) on three hits (5 K) over 5.0 IP.  Anna Halliday (1.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) suffered the loss for Bowdoin.

The Bobcats now immediately hit the road for a Saturday twin-bill at Wellesley University in Middletown, Conn. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.