Bobcats Split Home Opener with Tufts
April 10, 2004

Caitlyn Murphy smacks a double in Saturday's first game. Murphy went 4-for-8 with three runs.
LEWISTON, Maine – Sarah Klenakis threw a complete game four-hitter to lead Bates to a 6-1 win in the first game, and Tufts' Courtney Bongiolatti hit a solo home run in the seventh inning of the second game to lead the Jumbos to a 4-3 win and a split in a New England Small College Athletic Conference East Division softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon on Lafayette Street Field. 

Bates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the first game when Caitlin Murphy scored from third on a throwing error by the catcher.

Murphy '07 (Westwood, Mass.) got the Bobcat offense going again in the third inning, starting the inning with a one-out double to center. Kelley Kugel '04 (Concord, N.H.) moved Murphy to third on a bunt single, and Cami Dyson '04 (Arvada, Colo.) dropped a bloop single into right field to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead. Lissa Moses '06 (Hamden, Conn.) added an RBI single to give Bates a four-run cushion.

Klenakis '05 (Springfield, Mass.) was perfect through three innings for the Bobcats, but the Jumbos offense threatened in the fourth as Deana Davidian and Bongiolatti started the inning with back-to-back singles. Julie Fox got Tufts on the board with an RBI single to center field, but Klenakis induced two consecutive ground ball outs to minimize the damage.

Bates put the game away when Kugel scored on a double steal in the fifth and Sarah Levine '04 (Leeds, Mass.) hit an RBI single in the sixth.

Kugel was 2-for-3 with two runs in the first game, and Murphy went 2-for-4 and also scored twice for the Bobcats.

Tufts jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second game when Julie Fox smacked a two-run home run over the left field fence.

Bobcat designated player Dayna Krakower '05 (Derwood, Md.) scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to one after leading off the third inning with a double, and Amanda Beck '04 (Pleasantville, N.Y.) gave Bates its first lead of the game with a two-run single to center in the fifth.

Jumbo relief pitcher Julia Brenta sent Maggie McClory home from second with an RBI single in the sixth to tie the score, 3-3, and Bongiolatti restored the lead for Tufts with the solo homer to left in the seventh.

Fox was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Bongiolatti went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Jumbos.

Dyson was 2-for-3 and Murphy went 2-for-4 for the Bobcats.

Bates moved to 5-8, 1-3 NESCAC East, while Tufts is 7-13, 2-2. Bates will host Middlebury next Sunday after taking a week off for exams, while Tufts will host Babson on Tuesday.