SOMERVILLE, Mass. —  Bates football team rushed to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and held off a comeback by Tufts to earn a 31-23 NESCAC football victory Saturday.

The game featured a contrast in styles as Bates pounded the ball on the ground for 309 yards on 64 rushes, while Tufts passed for 363 yards on 71 attempts. The Jumbos completed 40.

Trevor Smith and Patrick George rushed for touchdowns and Joe Dell’Erario returned an interception 60 yards for a 21-3 Bobcats lead.

Ryan Cruit scored 2 yards out in the third quarter. Junior Charlie Donahue kicked a fourth-quarter field goal.

Smith led Bates with 88 rushing yards on 24 carries, and was 8 for 16 passing for 78 yards. Josh Chronopoulos led Bates with 11 tackles and forced a fumble. Bates beat Tufts for the third consecutive year.

Field hockey

Bates 3, Hamilton 2

CLINTON, N.Y. — The Bates College field hockey team scored three straight goals, two of them by sophomore Caroline Falcone, and went on to win 3-2 in a NESCAC contest at Hamilton College on Saturday.

Bates (3-4, 1-3 NESCAC) made it a 2-0 week and picked up its first conference win of the season. 

Falcone, who scored three of her first four career goals earlier this week in an 8-0 win over Husson, tied the game in the 13th minute, as a response four minutes after Hamilton’s game-opening score by Lauren King. Junior Polly Merck collected her fourth assist of the season on the play.

Merck followed with her fourth goal of the season 10 minutes into the second period, giving the Bobcats their first lead at 2-1. Falcone regained the team lead in goals with her fifth with 20:50 left in the game, an unassisted insurance score.

Junior goalkeeper Becca Otley made seven saves in earning the win for Bates.

Women’s soccer

Hamilton 2, Bates 0

CLINTON, N.Y. — Halle Becker and Alex Rimmer scored one goal apiece and Hamilton College blanked the Bates College women’s soccer team 2-0 in a NESCAC game played at Hamilton’s Love Field on Saturday.

Rimmer moved into third place on the Continentals’ all-time list, with 72 career points on 33 goals and six assists. Emily Grund of Auburn was credited with an assist and Liza Gergenti made three saves for her second shutout this year.

Bates junior Anabel Schmelz  stopped three shots for Bates. The Continentals owned a 15-6 shot advantage, and took nine corner kicks to two for the Bobcats.

Hamilton (6-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute on Becker’s unassisted goal, as her hard shot from outside the box slid underneath the crossbar. Becker has three goals and eight points this year. The Continentals led 1-0 at the break.

Rimmer clinched the win with her goal in the 69th minute. Grund worked her way into the box and passed off to Rimmer, who fired a low shot that got past Schmelz.

Bates (1-5) travels to Tufts for more conference action Sunday.

Men’s soccer

Hamilton 3, Bates 1

CLINTON, N.Y. — Hamilton received goals from three different players and Leo Nizzi had two assists as the Continentals defeated Bates College 3-1.

Bayard Geeslin scored Hamilton’s goal in the first half and Erich Marcks and Anthony Balbo connected on goals in the second half. Senior forward Ethan Hirshberg scored the lone goal for Bates. Bobcat first-year goalkeeper Sam Polito stopped five shots in the loss.

Cross country

No. 4 Bates men win Gordon College meet

WENHAM, Mass. — The No. 4 nationally ranked Bates men’s cross country team showcased its depth on Saturday at the Pop Crowell Invitational at Gordon College. With all the team’s top finishers from past races this season sitting out this race, Bates still placed first among 25 teams. The Bobcats scored 61 points, nine ahead of runner-up Westfield State.

First-year Sam Reilly crossed the finish line first for Bates, placing sixth among 275 runners overall in a time of 26:34.1.

Two Bates runners from nearby towns came in second and third on the team: first-year Thomas D’Amato took seventh place in 26:44.1, and senior captain Eric Kimball was eighth in 26:51.8. First-years Stephen Siprelle and Bryant Perkins rounded out Bates’ scoring in 12th and 28th, respectively, at 27:00.2 and 27:30.1.

Copy the Story Link