LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates baseball team struggled to score runs on Sunday as the visiting Wesleyan University Cardinals swept the Bobcats in a doubleheader at Leahey Field. The Cardinals took game one 6-0 before hanging on to defeat Bates 4-2 in game two.

Between games, Bates (11-12) celebrated Senior Day with their 11 seniors: Noah Ackerman (Armonk, N.Y.), Dylan Azcárate (Tiburon, Calif.), Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.), Chris Cimino (Scarborough, Maine), Sam Hough (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.), Noah Jankowski (Methuen, Mass.), Luke Linnehan (Hingham, Mass.), Corbin McAlpine (Boxborough, Mass.), Teddie Nelson (Marshfield, Mass.), Jack Potash (Stratford, Conn.), and Noah Timmer (Keeen, N.H.) .

The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday when they visit Husson University for a 4 pm first pitch.

Game One: Wesleyan 6, Bates 0

Two swings of the bat made all the difference in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, as the Cardinals hit two three-run home runs to beat the Bobcats 6-0.

The Cardinals got things going on offense in the top of the first. Ernie Little singled softly to right to lead off the game and Cole Torino drew a walk. Then Evan Diaz launched a three-run homer to put the Cardinals up 3-0.

Linnehan (2-3), who got the start in game one on Senior Day, settled down after that, shutting down the Cardinals for the rest of his two scheduled innings.

First-year Theo Zacharia (Manhasset, N.Y.) got a bit unlucky in the top of the third out of the bullpen. With one away, Torino and Diaz smacked back-to-back singles. Zacharia was able to get James Marsden to hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play back to short, but the Bobcats were only able to get the lead runner as the second baseman was late covering the bag. 

So with two outs, Connor Sullivan stepped to the plate for Wesleyan and promptly launched a three-run home run to make the score 6-0.

Nelson entered the game out of the bullpen in the top of the fourth and turned in an outstanding performance, shutting out Wesleyan with four innings of one-hit ball. He struck out three batters along the way in one of the best performances of his collegiate career.

Unfortunately, the Bobcats couldn't get any runs across the plate against Wesleyan pitching. AJ Karabenick (4-1) went four shutout innings to start the game, and the Wesleyan bullpen did the rest. The Bobcats tallied five hits, all singles, and left eight runners on base. First-year Henry Prince (McLean, Va.) reached base all three times he came to the plate, going 1-1 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
 
Game Two: Wesleyan 4, Bates 2

First-year Keagan Ryan smacked a home run and ran wild on the bases, but it wasn't enough as Bates left nine runners on base and struck out 13 times as a team in a 4-2 loss to Wesleyan in game two of Sunday's doubleheader.

Sophomore Diego Sarabia (Atlanta, Ga.) impressed on the mound in his three scheduled innings to start the game. He allowed just an unearned run on two hits while striking out four. Patrick Murphy was just as good for Wesleyan, going four shutout innings. 

Already up 1-0, the Cardinals (20-6) added an insurance run in the top of the sixth on a Little sacrifice fly.

That insurance run prevented Bates from tying the game when Ryan (Salem, N.H.) launched his third home run of the season, cutting the Wesleyan lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth.

Then the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-1 on a Sullivan two-run homer in the seventh, his second long ball of the doubleheader, and fourth of the season.

Ryan got hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the eighth and promptly stole second. Then he stole third and scored when the throw got away, making the score 4-2. With one out, Prince singled to center, and with two away sophomore Joe Yoxall (Dallas, Texas) drew a walk. The Cardinals brought in reliever Oliver Dmochowski, who struck out the next batter to get Wesleyan out of the jam.

Sophomore Liam Yardley (Keene, N.H.) got hit by a pitch to start the ninth, but Dmochowski was able to get the next three batters out, as Marsden robbed Ryan of a potential hit with a diving catch in center to end the game.

The Bobcats tallied six hits in the contest, with Prince going 2-4 at the plate and Cimino recording a double.