BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin softball team secured hosting rights for the NESCAC Championship following a series sweep of Bates on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears (27-8, 9-3 NESCAC) defeated the Bobcats (10-16, 1-9 NESAC) 8-1 in the opener and 5-1 in game two. Bowdoin is the top seed in the NESCAC East and earned hosting right for the first time in program history.

Game One Highlights

• Bowdoin jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Marisa O'Toole and Claire McCarthy each tagged RBI singles and Lauren O'Shea added a two-run single.
• The Bobcats crept back into the game with an RBI groundout from Sam Fellers in the following inning. McCarthy responded in the bottom half of the inning with a similar play, giving Bowdoin a 5-1 lead.
• Caroline Rice drove in two more runs for the Polar Bears in the fourth, singling to left, and O'Toole added another RBI in the sixth.
• Fellers suffered the loss in the circle for Bates, allowing ten hits and eight runs.
• Emily Griffin pitched all seven innings for Bowdoin and allowed just four hits. The senior struck out four and walked three.
• Maddie Inlow went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.
• Ali Miller and Rice were both 2-or-3 in the game.

Game Two Highlights

• The Polar Bears plated five runs in game two to secure the sweep.
• Jordan Gowdy put Bowdoin on the board in the bottom of the second with a triple to right center that brought McCarthy home.
• With Rice standing on second in the following inning, Allison Rutz cleared the fence at left center to add two more runs to Bowdoin's tally.
• Mimi Crowley gave the Bobcats their first run of the game with single to center that drove in Inlow.
• Bowdoin added two more runs in the fourth. Miller scored from third on a wild pitch and O'Toole plated Griffin with a single to left.
• Rutz pitched four innings for Bowdoin and allowed four hits with as many strikeouts. Samantha Roy pitched the final three innings and allowed just one hit with six strikeouts.
• Kirsten Pelletier surrendered seven hits and three runs in three innings. Fellers pitched the second half of the game and allowed five hits and a pair of runs.
• Inlow went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.
• Griffin was 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple. McCarthy was 3-for-3 with a double. 

Up Next

• As the top seed in the NESCAC East, Bowdoin will host the three day championship tournament that begins on Friday.