LEWISTON, Maine -- Sophomore Mekae Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) homered, junior Kevin Davis (North Andover, Mass.) drove in three runs and sophomore Alex Parker (Lewiston, Maine) drove in two more as the Bates College baseball team posted a 7-2 non-conference win over UMaine-Farmington Wednesday afternoon at Leahey Field.

The Bobcats (12-14) used seven pitchers to limit the Beavers (8-17) to seven hits in the nine-inning game. 

Three UMF pitchers held Bates to seven hits as well, though two Beaver errors on the first two plays of the game helped Bates grab an early 2-0 lead that the Bobcats never relinquished. 

Farmington junior Ben Pearson (North Stonington, Conn./Wheeler) allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks. First-year Kyle Peterson (Bethel, Maine/Telstar) pitched two perfect innings of relief before giving way to first-year Tom Grady (Whitefield, Maine/Erskine Academy) for the bottom of the eighth.

Bates leadoff hitter Rockwell Jackson reached on a throwing error to begin the game. Senior Kevin McGregor (Randolph, N.J.) laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached first base safely on a muffed throw. Davis then hit a one-out double into left center to score Jackson and McGregor before Pearson ended the rally with two straight outs.

Bates got another run in the second, when first-year Samuel Warren (Norfolk, Va.) drew a one-out walk and scored on Jackson's two-out double to right.

Hyde's solo home run down the left-field line with one out in the third, his second homer of the season, gave Bates a 4-0 advantage.

Bates threatened to break the game open in the fifth, when McGregor led off with a single, then moved to third on a double by senior Ryan Sonberg (Windsor, Conn.). Davis hit a sacrifice fly to left to score McGregor, but Sonberg was left stranded as Pearson finished his stint with a strikeout and a groundout.

Bates staged a two-out rally in the eighth to assume a 7-0 lead. Junior Jeff Gunn (Lilburn, Ga.), who had reached on a fielder's choice, and junior Steve Burke (Bedford, N.H.), who had singled, both scored as Parker singled to right field with the bases loaded off of Grady.

UMF gained back two runs and broke the shutout with two runs in the top of the ninth off of Bates sophomore reliever Sam Maliska (Palo Alto, Calif.). Senior Dale Winchenbach (Waldoboro, Maine/Medomak Valley) led off with a single, but Maliska got the next two batters out, bringing Bates one out from the win. Senior Zach Keene (Livermore, Maine/Livermore Falls), however, doubled down the left-field line to to score Winchenbach, and first-year Jory Humphrey (Jefferson, Maine/Erskine Academy) followed with an RBI single to left to make it 7-2. Maliska struck out first-year Grayson Beressi (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) to end the game.

Grady finished 2-for-4 at the plate for the Beavers, while five other players each had one hit.

UMF plays a doubleheader at Colby-Sawyer tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Bates will start a three-game series against Colby with a game in Waterville on Friday at 3:00 p.m.

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