LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates baseball team swept Plymouth State in a doubleheader Sunday at Leahey Field, taking game one 3-0 and winning game two 6-2 in the first two home games of the season for the Bobcats.

With the pair of wins, Bates baseball (6-1) is off to the program's best start through seven games since 1974. 

The Bobcats return to action this Wednesday in Winter Haven, Fla. when they take on SUNY Fredonia at 1 p.m. 

Game One: Bates 3, Plymouth State 0

Senior John Tully tossed six shutout innings and the Bobcats hit two home runs as the Bates baseball team defeated Plymouth State 3-0 in game one of Sunday's doubleheader.

Tully (Framingham, Mass.) won his third straight start to begin the season, scattering five hits and striking out three. Tully has now thrown 17 innings to start the year without walking anyone. With Sunday's performance, he lowers his ERA to 1.06.

Junior captain Keagan Ryan (Salem, N.H.) smacked a solo home run to left field leading off the bottom of the first off Panther starter Brady Harvie (0-2) to put the home team ahead for good. It's Ryan's second home run of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career. Sophomore Max Dushney (Ashland, Mass.) followed with his first collegiate home run, a solo shot in the bottom of the second which extended the lead to 2-0. 

The Bobcats got Tully (3-0) an insurance run in the bottom of the third. Senior Joe Yoxall (Dallas, Texas) reached on an error to start the frame. Ryan drew a walk and senior Jack Margiloff (Rye, N.Y.) hit a deep fly out to right, moving Yoxall to third. Ryan stole second base and senior Gibby Sullivan (Yarmouth, Maine) drove in Yoxall with a ground out to short. 

Tully took care of business for the first six innings and sophomore Charlie Bushley (Cohasset, Mass.) earned his first collegiate save with a perfect top of the seventh, striking out two batters along the way. 

Bates took game one despite getting out-hit 5-3. The Bobcats turned one double play, Tully picked off a runner, and Dushney caught a runner stealing to keep the visitors off the board.
 
Game Two: Bates 6, Plymouth State 2

Senior Diego Sarabia matched his career-high with eight strikeouts over five and two thirds innings and the Bobcats led from the jump in a 6-2 win over Plymouth State in game two of Sunday's doubleheader. 

Sarabia (Mableton, Ga.) allowed just two hits and two runs, only one of which was earned. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

Bates got on the board right away in the bottom of the first. Ryan bunted his way aboard to start the frame. He stole second and followed that up by stealing third. The throw went into left field and Ryan scored for a 1-0 Bates lead. 

The Bobcats continued to put the pressure on Plymouth State starter Jack Gintof (0-2) in the bottom of the second. With one out, sophomore John Federico (Durham, N.H.) singled to right field. Senior captain Liam Yardley (Keene, N.H.) drew a walk and the Bobcats pulled off a double steal. An RBI ground out from sophomore Tyler Tucker (Hamilton, N.J.) plated Federico and Bates led 2-0.

Two more runs crossed the plate in the third inning for the home team. Ryan and Margiloff smacked back-to-back singles to start the frame and the Bobcats executed another double steal. Sullivan drove in Ryan with a sacrifice fly and sophomore David Swift (Yarmouth, Maine) singled up the middle to drive in Margiloff for a 4-0 advantage.

Yardley walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Tucker bunted him to second. Yoxall drew a walk as well, chasing Gintof from the game. Ryan grounded out against new pitcher Greg Mayo, moving both runners up 90 feet. Then Margiloff singled home Yardley and Bates led 5-0.

The Panthers (0-5) scored their first runs of the afternoon when they plated two in the top of the sixth. Connor Dobson walked to start the frame and Owen Webber broke up Sarabia's no-hitter with a single. The Panthers tried to pull off a double steal but Yardley threw out Dobson at third. Sarabia struck out Brayden Michaelson looking for his eighth K of the afternoon and the second out of the inning. But Sam Salvi singled home Webber to cut the Bates lead to 5-1. 

Junior Theo Zacharia (Manhasset, N.Y.) entered the game for the Bobcats out of the bullpen. A Bates fielding error allowed Flynn to reach and Salvi to advance to second. Then Ray Campbell reached on a Bates throwing error. Salvi scored on the play but Swift threw out Flynn at the plate to end the inning with Bates up 5-2.

Bates picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Junior Luke Yoon (Honolulu, Hawaii) got hit by a pitch to start the frame. Federico bunted pinch runner first-year Brady Thompson (Newark, Del.) to second and with two away Tucker singled Thompson home to extend the lead to 6-2.

Zacharia, sophomore Ezra Pate (Baton Rouge, La.), and sophomore Charlie Cariello (Bedford, N.H.) combined to toss 3.1 innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen to help Sarabia (2-1) secure his second win of the season.

Ryan, Margiloff, and Yoon all tallied two hits apiece to pace Bates. Ryan also stole three bases.

The Bobcats tallied nine hits as a team while holding the Panthers to just five hits in the contest.