CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bates College softball team opened the 2025 season in dominant fashion Sunday morning at the PFX Spring Games, as junior
Delaney Rankin delivered a masterful performance in the circle. Rankin struck out a career-high 15 batters, allowing just one hit in a complete-game shutout to lead the Bobcats past Framingham State 3-0.
GAME ONE
Rankin (1-0) was electric from start to finish, keeping the Rams' hitters off balance with a dazzling mix of pitches. Her 15 strikeouts fell just two shy of the program record of 17, set by
Kelsey Freedman in 2014. The Rams (1-2) managed just one hit, a double by SS Abby Behrikis in the third inning.
The Bobcats gave Rankin all the run support she needed early on. 2B
Emma Yen led off the bottom of the first with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from SS
Ella Maher. Yen moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to give Bates a 1-0 lead.
Bates doubled the advantage in the second inning thanks to aggressive baserunning. CFÂ
Zariya Anderson walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and later stole home as part of a double steal with RF
Grace Householter, making it 2-0. Anderson capped off a productive performance with an RBI double in the third inning, scoring Rankin, who had reached on an infield single.
Framingham State starter Julie Chisholm (1-1) took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits over 1.1 innings before giving way to reliever Sydney Bednarz, who pitched 3.2 innings of one-run ball.
Rankin's command never wavered, even when the Rams threatened in the second inning with runners at second and third. She calmly struck out the next batter to escape the jam and continued to dominate, fanning the side in the fourth and seventh innings to seal the victory.
Offensively, the Bobcats tallied six hits, with sophomore catcher
Isabel Bettencourt going 2-for-3 with a double.
GAME TWO
Bates came up just short in the nightcap, falling to Smith College, 8-6, despite a fast start and a late push to close out day one.
The Bobcats (1-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Yen was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, advanced to second on a passed ball, and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Maher drew a walk and stole second, Bettencourt drove in Yen with a sacrifice fly to center. Anderson followed with an RBI single through the left side to plate Maher.
Bates extended the lead to 5-0 in the third inning. Yen singled up the middle to start the frame, and Maher drew her second walk of the game. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Bettencourt walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, which allowed Yen to score. Householter then delivered a clutch two-run triple to right center, scoring both Maher and Bettencourt.
Smith (1-1) stormed back in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs on three hits. The Pioneers added three more runs in the fourth inning to tie the game at 5-5, capitalizing on a pair of Bobcat miscues and a two-run single by 3B/RF Taz Tamai.
Bates regained the lead briefly in the sixth inning when Maher singled and came around to score on Bettencourt's RBI single, making it 6-5. Smith responded immediately, however, scoring twice in the bottom of the frame on a two-run double by C/3B Kat Wajerski to take an 8-6 lead.
Bailey Gray, who started in the circle for Smith, but left after one batter, came back on to pitch the seventh inning and retired the Bobcats in order to record the save. Aislynn Lavery (1-0) earned the win for the Pioneers with two innings of relief.
Haley Alden (0-1), making her collegiate debut for the garnet and white, took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) over three innings out of the bullpen.
The Bobcats return to action Monday in the Sunshine State with contests vs. Gallaudet University (2:00 p.m.) and Keuka College (4:15 p.m.)
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