MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The Bates softball team's offense had a day to remember on Wednesday, propelling the Bobcats to a pair of wins over the Middlebury College Panthers in NESCAC action.

Bates (5-12, 2-4 NESCAC) handed Middlebury (11-7, 4-2 NESCAC) their first two conference losses of the season, as the Bobcats prevailed 9-4 in game one and ran away with a 9-2 victory in game two of the doubleheader. 

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday when they take on Hamilton in a twin bill.

Game One: Bates 9, Middlebury 4

The Bates softball team scored five runs in the top of the seventh to secure a 9-4 win over Middlebury in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader. 

With the score tied at four, sophomore Kennedy Jones (Ocean Springs, Miss.) drew a walk to start the top of the seventh. First-year Sienna Pietrasiewicz (Norton, Mass.) smacked a double to put runners at second and third. Then senior captain Rachel Liazos (Westborough, Mass.) doubled in a pair for a 6-4 Bates lead. Liazos advanced to third on a foul out, then with two away, junior captain Sarah Cooke (Wenham, Mass.) drew a walk. Cooke stole second and sophomore Emma Yen (Albertson, N.Y.) followed with an infield single, driving in Liazos. First-year Zariya Anderson (Wayzata, Minn.) kept things going when she got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Back-to-back bases loaded walks to first-year Elizabeth Pellini (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Jones capped off the scoring for Bates in the frame. 

Handed a 9-4 lead, sophomore starting pitcher Delaney Rankin (Harrison, Maine) wasted little time finishing up her complete game, working around a one-out single in the seventh to secure the win. 

Despite the final score, the game did not begin auspiciously for the Bobcats. The Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the first to grab a 4-0 lead. Kristyn Carroll led off the frame with a solo home run Olivia Scholes smacked a three-run shot later in the inning to add to the early Panther advantage.

But Rankin (3-6) was not bothered, shutting down the Middlebury offense the rest of the way. She scattered eight hits in her seven innings of work and struck out three.

Down 4-0, the Bobcats got two back in the top of the third. With one away, Anderson singled through the left side and Pellini doubled her in. Then with two outs, Pietrasiewicz singled in Pellini, making the score 4-2.

Anderson got the offense going again with one away in the top of the fifth, reaching on an infield single. Pellini singled through the left side, and with two outs, Pietrasiewicz singled to load the bases. Liazos followed with an infield single to score Anderson, trimming the deficit to 4-3.

In the top of the sixth, first-year Maya Lee (Wayland, Mass.) got hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Cooke reached on a bunt single, and Yen singled up the middle. But Lee got thrown out at the plate trying to score. Cooke advanced to third on the play, and that paid off when Anderson grounded out to third, scoring Cooke and tying the game at four.

Rankin retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, setting up the big top of the seventh for Bates.

The Bobcats tallied 13 hits in the contest, with Pellini going 3-4 with a double, a run scored, two RBIs, and a walk. Pietrasiewicz finished 3-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Liazos went 2-4 with a double, a run scored, and three RBIs. Anderson finished 2-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Meanwhile, Yen was big at the bottom of the order, going 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Notably, the Bates offense did not strike out in the game one victory. 

Game Two: Bates 9, Middlebury 2

The Bates softball team picked up right where they left off in game two of Wednesday's doubleheader, scoring four runs in the first inning on their way to a 9-2 victory over the Panthers.

First-year Isabella Albro (New York City) pitched a complete game in the circle, allowing just two runs on five hits. Albro (2-5) worked around six walks to earn the victory.

Anderson and Pellini led off game two with back-to-back walks. First-year Isabel Bettencourt (Peabody, Mass.) singled through the left side to load the bases, and Pietrasiewicz drove in Anderson with a ground out to second. Liazos really got the offense going, tripling in a pair of runs for a 3-0 lead. Then with two away, junior Grace Householter (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) doubled in Liazos to make it 4-0.

Bates didn't score again against Middlebury starter McKenna Lont (6-2) until the top of the fifth. With one away, Pietrasiewicz singled to right. Liazos doubled her home for her third extra-base hit of the doubleheader. With two outs, Householter singled Liazos to third, advancing to second on the play. Cooke drew a walk and Yen singled in Liazos to put Bates up 6-0.

Liazos continued her remarkable day at the plate with a lead-off single in the seventh. Albro drew a walk and Householter singled to load the bases. Cooke drove in Liazos with a sacrifice fly and Yen continued to swing a hot bat with a two-RBI double, making the score 9-0 in favor of the Bobcats.

The Panthers finally got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but by then it was too little, too late for the home team.

Liazos and Householter both went 3-4 at the plate in game two, with Pietrasiewicz and Yen tallying two hits apiece. Bates finished with 12 hits to Middlebury's five, out-hitting the Panthers 25-13 over the course of the two games. Liazos drove in three more runs in game two, giving her six RBIs on the day. She now leads the team with 11 RBIs on the season.