Meade no-hits Bates in No. 19 softball’s doubleheader slipt

LEWISTON, Maine – The No. 19 ranked Colby College softball team split a NESCAC doubleheader with Bates College on Wednesday afternoon at Lafayette Street Field, earning a 2-0 victory in game one before falling 4-2 in the nightcap.

GAME 1: No. 19 Colby 2, Bates 0

Colby (24-9, 10-6 NESCAC) wasted no time setting the tone in the opener, manufacturing a run in the top of the first inning as senior

Carissa Cassidy singled up the middle, advanced to second on a perfect laid down sacrifice bunt by senior

Emma Burnham and moved up a base on a groundout by junior

Ella Wilcox. With a runner on third, junior

Juliana Kiley singled through the right side sending home Cassidy for a 1-0 lead.

The Mules added an insurance run in the second inning to extend their lead to 2-0. With two-outs, sophomore

Julia Berry roped a single to right field, stole second and scored on a double by Cassidy.

That was more than enough support for sophomore

Sophia Meade, who was dominant in the circle. Meade tossed a seven-inning no-hitter, the first of her career, striking out seven and allowing just three baserunners via two walks and a Colby miscue to improve to 9-2 on the on the season. The no-hitter by Meade is the tenth in the history of the Colby softball program.

At the plate, Cassidy led the way by going 4-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI while Kiley added two hits and an RBI.

GAME 2: Bates 4, No. 19 Colby 2

After Bates (15-18, 5-11 NESCAC) broke the scoreless tie in the third inning of game two on an RBI groundout, the Mules responded with a single run in the fifth to knot the game at 1-1. Junior

Caroline DeSimone hit a one-out infield single before racing home on double to left center by senior

Kelsey Sullivan.

With the score tied at one, the Bobcats scored three runs in bottom of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead on back-to-back-to-back RBI singles.

The Mules responded with a run in the top of the sixth to cut their deficit to two. Burnham walked to start the frame, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wilcox and eventually scored on an RBI double to center field by Kiley.

The Bobcats retired the Mules in order in the top of the seventh to secure their 4-2 victory in game two.

First-year

Sharlotte Stazinski (9-5) earned the loss in the circle for the Mules after allowing four runs (three earned) off six hits with six strikeouts in 6-0 innings of work.

Offensively, Sullivan led Colby with two hits, a double, and an RBI, while Cassidy, Kiley and senior

Victoria Ramirez each added a hit apiece in the setback.

The Mules will close-out their regular season on Saturday when they host Bowdoin College for a NESCAC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.