LEWISTON — Sarah Cooke, Grace Householter and Kennedy Jones hit early inning home runs to help the Bates College softball team earn a doubleheader split with a 13-1, five-inning win over Bowdoin in Friday’s second game.

The three homers propelled the Bobcats (8-6, 2-2 NESCAC) to a 7-0 lead in the second inning of the second game, which they went on to win in five innings via the mercy rule.

Cooke started the barrage with a two-run shot in the first inning, and Householter made Bates’ lead 5-0 with a three-run homer. Jones added a solo home run in the second.

Householter finished with four RBIs, while Cooke, Jones and Rachel Liazos each drove in two runs.

Madison Hollis (2-2) earned the win for Bates, holding the Polar Bears to three hits and one run while striking out five in five innings. Bowdoin’s Anna Halliday (4-2) took the loss.

Three homers in the opener highlighted the Polar Bears’ 13-run effort, which resulted in a 13-5 victory.

Lilly Armstrong led off the first game with a home run.

After Bates took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, Bowdoin pulled away with six runs in the fifth and four in the sixth. Those high-scoring frames were highlighted by Angelina Mayers’ solo homer and Sydney Long’s three-run home run. Mayers also homered in the second game.

Bates’ Cassidy Musco had three hits, including a double, drove in two runs and scored two.

Bowdoin’s Maddie Current (6-3) was the winning pitcher, while Bobcats pitcher Delaney Rankin (3-2) was tagged for the loss.

MUSTANGS NO. 2: Central Maine Community College is ranked second in the latest USCAA softball coaches poll.

CMCC holds down the No. 2 spot for the second straight week, trailing only Florida National University in the national poll.

The CMCC baseball team is listed among the next three teams outside of the 15-team poll.

BASEBALL
NHTI 17, CMCC 12: A six-run fifth provided the Lynx with enough of a cushion to get by the Mustangs (17-10, 0-1 YSCC) in the opening game of a doubleheader in Concord, New Hampshire.

James Jones hit a home run and drove in three runs for NHTI, and he and Josh MacDonald finished with three hits apiece.

Central Maine leadoff hitter Jimmy Reed tallied three hits, including a double, drove in two runs and scored twice. Garren Post and Brandon Gour each had three RBIs.

The second game was delayed in the top of the fourth due to rain, with the Mustangs leading 8-0. The contest will be finished at Central Maine Community College on April 17.

COLBY 17, BATES 7: The Polar Bears (13-5, 2-2 NESCAC) exploded for six runs in the sixth and nine in the eighth to blow past the Bobcats (9-7, 0-3 NESCAC) in Waterville.

Ryan Grace led the Mules’ offense, going 5 for 5 with two doubles, two runs and four RBIs. Brady O’Brien and Marcus Forrester drove in three runs apiece.

Bates tried to rally back from a 17-2 deficit in the top of the ninth, scoring five runs before running out of outs.

A hit by pitch and two walks loaded the bases with two outs. Another hit batter brought in the first run, then Drew Fallon stole home to make it 17-4.

Henry Jamieson knocked in two more runs with a bases-loaded single, and Brandon Biggane scored as well.