BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Due to the recent relentless rain that pounded the Lewiston-Auburn area, Bates College softball hosted an off-script home opener Saturday night as the Bobcats faced off against Hamilton College on the brand-new Pickard Softball Diamond at Bowdoin College.

The visiting Continentals secured a two-game sweep, defeating the Bobcats by scores of 7-2 and 7-4, in the NESCAC showdown.

GAME ONE

After a pair of scoreless frames to start the opener, Hamilton cracked the seal in the top of third, plating three runs in the stanza. 2B Alessandra Priante came in with the game's first run after coming all the way around on a lead-off triple to right field and a subsequent throwing error on the play.

LF Jordan Merklin followed with a one-out single to left. 3B Charlie Quinn, after a line-out to center made it two outs in the inning, proceeded to launch a moon shot off the protective netting in front of the scoreboard in left-center, putting Hamilton ahead, 3-0, and  providing the junior with her first long ball of the year.

1B Rachel Liazos (2-for-3, 2 2B) countered in the home half of the fourth as the slugging senior smashed an RBI double to right-center to put the Bobcats on the board. A nifty squeeze bunt single from 1B/DP Gabby Garrison in the top of the fifth brought in  Merklin (triple) with the Continentals' fourth tally of the game.

With one out in the fifth, 3B Emma Yen enjoyed a personal milestone as the sophomore speedster laced a liner to left-center, which evaded a diving Alexis Mayer in centerfield and rolled all the way to the wall. Yen would scurry around the bags and score, securing her an inside-the-park (and first career) home run.

That would be as close as the 'Cats would climb in the contest as the Continentals added a lone run in the fifth (Tansky RBI single), which was followed by Quinn's second two-run dinger of the game, a laser beam over the center field wall in the seventh to make it 7-2 Continentals.

Natalie Beebe (3-3) earned the win as the senior permitted one run (1 ER) on four hits (7 K) over her our innings of work. Teagan Graham recorded her second save of the season (3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K) with 3.0 innings of relief.

Delaney Rankin (3-7) went the distance for the Bobcats (7.0 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 K).

GAME TWO 

Hamilton (14-12, 7-5 NESCAC) would also strike first in the nightcap, plating an unearned run in the top of the third for a 1-0 lead. The garnet and white countered with a crooked number in the home half of the frame, plating four runs on four hits to go ahead by three at 4-1.

An RBI double off the bat of 3B Isabel Bettencourt, and a two-run single through the middle by LF Lily Freedman, highlighted the Bobcats' breakout inning.

After a scoreless fourth, the Continentals added another unearned tally in the fifth before unleashing a five-run, five-hit counter-punch, resulting in a 7-4 advantage and soon-to-be sweep of the Bobcats.

Two-run singles off the bats of SS Alison Zorn and 1B Hadley Rogers, along with a ribbie triple by Merklin, led the Hamilton charge in the consequential inning.

Emma Tansky (6-4) earned the win after hurling 4.2 innings out of the Hamilton bullpen (3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K). Elizabeth Pellini (0-2), in relief of starting pitcher Isabella Albro, took the loss for Bates (0.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB).

The Bobcats (5-14, 2-6 NESCAC) will return to Brunswick Sunday afternoon to host Amherst in a NESCAC double-dip that commences at 4:30 p.m.