BRUNSWICK, Maine --First-year pitcher Brigid Gaffny slammed the door on No. 13 Williams with four innings of scoreless relief and Ella Maher's go-ahead RBI single in the fifth lifted Bates to a 3-2 win in Game Two, earning a gritty softball split in Friday's NESCAC twin-bill at Bowdoin College's Pickard Field.

The nationally ranked Ephs (12-6, 1-1 NESCAC) opened the day with a 1-0 victory, but Bates (12-6, 4-2 NESCAC) responded with one of its signature wins of the season behind timely hitting, clutch defense, and Gaffny's poise in the circle.

GAME ONE
Williams capitalized on a sixth-inning RBI single from 1B Katie Blanch and a complete-game no-hitter from ace Sadie Leonard to edge Bates, 1-0, in the opener. 

Leonard (9-0) was lights out, striking out 12 (including the game's first eight batters) and allowing just one baserunner—a third-inning walk to Maya Lee—en route to the junior's second no-no of the season. Leonard faced just 22 batters and threw 83 pitches in a surgical outing for the Ephs.

Williams broke through in the sixth when SS Alysa DeQuiroz (2-2) walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout, Blanch lined a single to center to bring DeQuiroz home with the game's only run. Blanch moved to second on the throw but was left stranded.

Bates right-hander Delaney Rankin (8-1) was outstanding despite taking her first loss of the season. The junior scattered four hits, walked four, and struck out five over seven innings, keeping the Bobcats within striking distance all game.

The Ephs threatened to add insurance in the seventh, but a wild double-play sequence—starting with a bunt back to the pitcher and ending with a tag-out of CF Kayla Chang at first base—ended the frame and gave Bates one last shot. However, Leonard retired the side in order to complete the no-no.

GAME TWO

After Williams scratched across a run in the top of the first inning, Bates responded with a two-run bottom half, highlighted by Emma Yen's leadoff double and aggressive baserunning. Yen stole third and scored on a throwing error before Grace Householter added an RBI infield single, scoring a hustling Maher, who singled and advanced on an Isabel Bettencourt base hit, to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead.

The Ephs tied it in the third, but Maher delivered the game-winner in the fifth, punching a single through the right side to score 2B Maddy Miller, who had drawn a leadoff walk and advanced on a Yen sacrifice bunt.

Gaffny (2-2) entered in the fourth and was locked in, allowing just two hits and no walks over four innings. The righty sealed the win by retiring the final six batters in a row. Blanch (4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 K, BB) was tagged with the loss (2-6).

Bettencourt continued her torrid stretch at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Maher finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. 

The garnet and white gets back at it on Saturday with two contests vs. Middlebury College. Bates will again play host at Pickard Field with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.