LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates softball team got into the winning column on Monday, sweeping Fisher College in a home doubleheader at Lafayette Street Field. Bates won the first game 14-0 in five innings, then posted a 9-2 victory in the second game.
Bates senior Karen Lockhart (East Greenwich, R.I.) homered twice in Bates' eight-run third inning in Game 2, and homered again in the second game. Lockhart began the day as the NESCAC leader in slugging percentage at .789, but raised that mark to .923 on Monday.
Lockhart ended the day with 22 extra-base hits this season, breaking the team single-season record of 19 set by Katie Franklin in 2006. She is also one away from Bates' single-season total bases record of 73, set by Stacia Saniuk in 2006.
Bates sophomore catcher Tori Fitzgerald (Holliston, Mass.) also had a big day, batting 7-for-7 over the two games
Bates (2-22) hosts the University of New England for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 3:30pm.
The visiting Falcons dropped to 3-23 with the two losses.
Game 1 Recap
Bates got off on the right foot with four runs in the first inning powered by Lockhart's two-run triple, then exploded for eight in the third to put the potential eight-run rule into effect. The Bobcats added two more runs in the fourth while first-year starter Kylie Martin (Poland, Maine) continued to hold the Falcons scoreless, ending the game after 4 1/2 innings.
Martin (1-11) allowed just one hit and walked two while striking out six batters to earn her first career victory. Mikayla Zimmerman, Fisher's lone pitcher, gave up 14 runs (10 earned) in four innings, dropping to 3-22.
First-year Andrea Russo (Cheshire, Conn.) and sophomore Emma Schiller (Natick, Mass.) led off the bottom of the first with singles and Lockhart drove them home with a triple to the fence in right center. Junior Maddie Inlow (Falmouth, Maine) scored Lockhart with a sacrifice fly to left. First-year Madison Fox (Denver, Colo.) then hit a one-out double and scored on an RBI double to center by Fitzgerald.
Lockhart led off the third with a home run to right center, and Inlow followed with a triple to right center. Fox scored Inlow with a sac fly to make it 6-0 in Bates' favor.
Sophomore Paige Ahlholm (North Andover, Mass.) and Fitzgerald followed with singles and later scored on senior Marina Barsoum's (Newark, N.J.) single to center and a wild pitch, respectively.
Russo came up and hit a bouncer; Barsoum bolted home from third base but Fisher catcher Tori Park missed the tag on Barsoum, giving Bates a 9-0 lead and extending the inning. Schiller then doubled to give Bates runners at the corners for Lockhart, who homered to right center for the second time of the inning, giving Bates a 12-0 lead.
Before the game could end on the eight-run rule, Ahlholm belted her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, a two-run shot over the left-field fence.
Lockhart was 3-for-3 in the game with three runs scored and a career-high six RBIs. Fitzgerald also batted 3-for-3 with two doubles, while Ahlholm and Schiller both had two hits and two runs scored.
Game 2 Recap
Fisher got on the board with single runs in the first and second innings off of Bates first-year starter Mimi Crowley (Barnstable, Mass.), but Bates matched the Falcons in both frames before taking the lead for good with two runs in the third.
Fisher scored in the top of the first when Morgan Selmi hit an infield single, stole second base and scored on Zimmerman's double down the right-field line. Bates tied the game in the bottom of the inning, as Russo led off with a double and later scored on a sac fly by Inlow.
Fisher made it 2-1 in the second as Luz Evanglista drew a walk and later stole home after Ashley De Sousa was caught trying to steal second base.
Bates loaded the bases with no outs in the second, after Fox led off by reaching on a dropped fly ball. Sophomore Maria Garbarino (Reading, Mass.) delivered an RBI single to center to score Fox to tie the game at 2-2. But Zimmerman escaped further trouble by inducing a pop fly to Barsoum, followed by a Fisher double play.
Lockhart gave Bates the lead for good with her third home run of the day, a one-out solo shot to left field. Bates made it 4-2 as Inlow and Fox followed with singles and Fitzgerald plated Inlow with an RBI single.
Bates added a run in the fourth as Russo reached on an infield single, stole second base and scored on Lockhart's single to right.
The Bobcats threatened to end the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs before Zimmerman escaped further damage. Senior Melissa Paione (Auburn, Maine) highlighted the inning with a pinch-hit double, scoring Ahlholm and Fitzgerald. Russo also drove in a run with a single.
