Endicott 5, Bates 4
at Beverly, Mass.

SEASON FINALE SLIPS AWAY FOR BOBCATS, 5-4

BEVERLY, Mass. — The host Endicott College Power Gulls scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning and escaped a bases-loaded situation in the top of the ninth to hand the Bates College Bobcats a 5-4 loss in Bates' season finale today.

The Bobcats (13-17-1) jumped on the board with three runs in the top of the second on the strength of four hits. Rookie DH Charles Engasser (Chanhassen, Minn.) and sophomore CF Rob Maguire (Wayland, Mass.) each had RBI singles, while rookie 2B Adam Taranto (Sudbury, Mass.) drew a bases-loaded walk. The Gulls answered with two in the bottom of the inning off Bobcat starter John Furbush (So. Portland, Maine). Maguire added another RBI single to put Bates up 4-2 in the fourth. He advanced to second on a passed ball, but got thrown out at the plate on Taranto's single.

Endicott (23-15) cut the lead in half with their first unearned in the fifth, taking advantage of two Bobcat errors. A single by CF Andrew Gagnon, a stolen base and LF Matt Morrison's RBI tied the game in the sixth. The Gulls escaped with a win in the bottom of the eighth, when C Peter Norke walked, stole second, advanced to third on a bad throw and scored on another overthrow by the outfield trying to cut him off. Bates loaded the bases with two out in the ninth on Taranto's second hit of the game, a walk by sophomore 1B Drew McKenna (Middleboro, Mass.) and sophomore SS Nate Maxwell's (Newport, Vt.) fourth base hit of the game, but the Bobcats could not push the game winner across the plate. Junior Billy Karz (Van Nuys, Cal.) suffered the hard luck loss despite bot allowing a hit in 2.1 innings.

Bates (13-17-1)   030 100 000  -  4 11 5
Endicott (23-15)  020 011 01x  -  5  5 2

Batteries
B: John Furbush, Billy Karz (5) and Ben Donaldson.
E: Aaron McKim, Nick Olsen (7), James Sturner (9) and
Peter Norke.
WP: Olsen (n/a). LP: Karz (2-3). S: Sturner.

2B: B, Nate Maxwell 2. E, Greg Allain. 
Multiple hitters: 
B, Maxwell 4, Rob Maguire, Adam Taranto, Charlie Engasser.
E, Steve Tierrini.