The Bard baseball team played the first of three weekend games against Bates on Saturday, falling 8-6 in nine innings, before pausing the second game due to rain. The teams will complete Game 2 on Sunday before playing the third game to close the series.
 
In Saturday's game, Bates jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings before the Raptors struck for three in the fourth inning and one in the fifth. The Bobcats tied the game at four in the seventh inning and tacked four more runs on in the eighth, and Bard's late comeback bid fell short and the final score was 8-6.
 
Three Raptors - Jimmy Famularo, Bryant Elliott, and Michael Kurlan - all had three hits, and Elliott had a pair of RBI. Kurlan, Mike Lynch, and Cal Anna each added another RBI.
 
Kane Morgan was strong on the mound, allowing two earned runs in five innings, and striking out seven.
 
The second game was paused in the top of the fifth inning with Bates holding a one-run lead, 3-2, and will be resumed on Sunday at 11 am followed by a 9-inning game to conclude the series.