LEWISTON — Lauren Merrill threw a no-hitter and received some powerful run support from her hitters in Oxford Hills’ 8-0 victory over Messalonskee in a KVAC Class A North softball season opener Tuesday at Joseph Deschenes Field.

Merrill allowed two walks and worked around three errors, but she struck out seven over seven innings. She also added a single at the plate as part of the Vikings’ (1-0) five-hit output.

Brooke Carson had two of those hits, including a three-run home run in the four-run second inning. Kori Kahkonen also homered in the frame. Haileigh Sawyer had the other hit for Oxford Hills.

Danielle Hall pitched all six innings for the visiting Eagles (1-0), issuing two walks while striking out five. The Eagles committed five errors in the field.

BOYS LACROSSE

Lewiston 10, Oxford Hills 2

LEWISTON — Sam Paine scored six goals and Tanner Cortes had four to pace Lewiston to a 10-2 victory over Oxford Hills in a Class A North boys lacrosse game Tuesday. It was the Blue Devils’ (1-0) first regular-season game on the artificial turf at the new Don Roux Field.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Tufts 19, Bates 14

MEDFORD, Mass. — Tufts took over in the third quarter to distance itself in a NESCAC men’s lacrosse battle Tuesday against Bates. The Jumbos turned a one-goal lead into a five-goal advantage heading into the fourth quarter of a 19-14 victory.

Curtis Knapton opened the scoring for the No. 12 Bobcats (9-2, 6-1 NESCAC), but the No. 4 Jumbos (11-1, 6-1) answered with three straight goals and they never gave the lead back.

Tufts led by as much as 8-2 in the second before Knapton started a 5-0 Bates run to end the first half. The Jumbos then scored the first four goals of the third quarter to take control for good.

Matt Chlastawa led the Bobcats with five goals and three assists, while Andrew Small added three and one. Brendan Mullaly equaled Knapton’s two-goal output. Ben Connelly paced Tufts with seven goals,  while Nick Shanks and Max Waldbaum both had hat tricks.

Rob Strain made 16 saves but took the loss in goal for Bates. Mason Pollack stopped 14 of 28 shots to earn the win for Tufts.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Tufts 19, Bates 5

LEWISTON — Bates drew first blood, but No. 5 nationally ranked Tufts spoiled the Bobcats’ final regular-season home game with a first-half scoring spree en route to a 19-5 victory at Garcelon Field in a NESCAC women’s lacrosse clash Tuesday.

Summer Dias opened the scoring for No. 22 Bates (8-5, 4-4 NESCAC) just 1:30 into the game, but the Jumbos (13-0, 8-0) scored the next six goals and 12 out of 13 to take complete control. Tufts led 13-4 at halftime.

Emily Games netted a hat trick to start the Tufts run, and she scored all five of her goals in the first half. Claire Wright also completed a hat trick before the intermission, and Mae Briody added three goals as well for the Jumbos.

Dias paced the Bobcats with two goals, while Jordyn Tveter, Katie Allard and Lila Hutchins each added one. Sydney Howard and Margaret Smith dished out one assist apiece.

Rachel Deptula took the loss in goal for Bates, giving up the first six goals in just over 10 minutes before giving way to Eliza Statile, who made six saves in relief. Audrey Evers made six saves in the first half for Tufts to earn the win, Molly Laliberty added two more stops in the second half.

BASEBALL

Bates 10, Dean 5

FRANKLIN, Mass. — The Bates offense heated up in the late innings to pull away for a 10-5 non-conference baseball victory over Dean College on Tuesday at Longley Athletic Complex.

The Bobcats (11-11) scored three runs in the fifth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh to break open what was a 1-1 game after four complete frames. The Bulldogs scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth, but they didn’t get the benefit of the home team’s last chance because the game was called in the middle of the ninth due to darkness.

Bates leadoff hitter Christian Heal went 3 for 4, and designated hitter Justin White added two more of the Bobcats’ eight hits. Bates took advantage of four Dean errors.

Brian Hadden collected three of the Bulldogs’ nine hits, including an RBI double in the bottom of the first.

Bates knocked Dean starter Alex Belanger with two outs in the fifth. Bobcats starter Grant Iuliano pitched into the fifth before being pulled for Ryan Moralejo. Justin Foley and Will Slayne combined two throw three shutout innings to close out the game for Bates.

Bowdoin 7, UMF 3

BRUNSWICK — Host Bowdoin scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and held that lead the rest of the way in a 7-3 non-conference baseball victory over University of Maine at Farmington on Tuesday.

Jack Wilhoite went 2 for 4 at the plate for the Polar Bears (4-17-1), with a double and a solo home run, and he drew a walk in the bottom of the first before scoring Bowdoin’s second run.

Zach Hartsgrove singled in Justin Rodrigue to cut the Beavers’ (9-14) deficit in half in the top of the second, but Bowdoin scored once in the third, three runs in the fifth and a final run in the sixth to pull away.

Kevin Carter doubled home Chase Malloy and Derek Bowen in the top of the sixth to round out UMF’s scoring. Malloy and Rodrigue both had two hits for the Beavers.

Ben Osterholtz earned the win with a six-inning effort, scattering six hits. Seamus Keenan pitched three innings of relief, with two hits and no runs.

Troy Johnson took the loss for UMF, giving up three runs in three innings. Hunter Bolduc followed with two innings of relief, while Brice Springer, Patrick Fallon and Cole Lockhart each pitched one inning.

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