LEWISTON,  Maine -- A Sunday softball split with Williams College clinched a postseason berth for Bates College as the Bobcats now own the #7-seed in next week's NESCAC Championship. 

The garnet and white, in the postseason for the first time since 2019, will take on #2 Amherst on Friday at 5:00 p.m. The Bobcats dropped a pair of close decisions to the Mammoths (including a 3-2, 10-inning game one defeat) on the road back on Apr. 16. Tufts University (Medford, Mass.) will host the entire 2023 tournament.

GAME ONE (Williams 9, Bobcats 1) (8 inn.)

In a contest that served as an epic pitcher's duel for the first seven innings of action between first-year hurlers Sadie Leonard (Williams) and Madison Hollis, Williams stunned the Bobcats with an eight-run eighth inning to seal an unexpected 9-1 victory.

After five frames of goose eggs, DP Kelly McGuigan ripped a two-out, solo homer down the left field line in the sixth to provide the Ephs a 1-0 lead. The Bobcats countered in the home half, as a Williams' throwing error permitted CF Courtney Musco to score all the way from first base after an initial infield single by SS Ella Maher.

With both squads coming up empty in the seventh, the Ephs went off script in the eighth as the road team plated eight runs on nine hits and a pair of Bobcat miscues to put an abrupt end to the opener.

Leonard (13-4) was absolutely dominant in the circle for Williams as the first-year struck out a career-best 18 and walked none (6 H, 1 R, 0 ER) in the gem. Hollis (6-8), before running out of steam in the final frame, was brilliant in the complete-game showing.

GAME TWO (Bobcats 3, Williams 2)

Trailing 2-1 after three, 3B Kama Boswell scorched a two-run single through the right side in the bottom of the fourth (which would represent the game-winning and postseason-clinching hit) as the Bobcats held on to defeat the Ephs, 3-2.

Delaney Rankin (6-6) coasted to the victory in the circle as the first-year scattered seven hits (2 R, 2 ER) and walked none (1 K) in the complete-game win. Elyse Chan (5-5) took the loss for the Ephs (19-15, 12-6 NESCAC).

Williams enters the NESCAC Championship as the #3 seed and will take on #6 Trinity College Saturday at noon. Bates (15-16-1, 7-11 NESCAC) and the Ephs will meet for a rematch in the quarterfinals round on Saturday (5:00 p.m.) if both each win their first-round contests.