Bowdoin took game one of a three-game series with Middlebury, earning a 7-3 victory in the first game on Forbes Field. The Polar Bears (17-5) and Panthers (5-9) return to action on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Bowdoin held a 3-2 lead after two innings, as the teams settled down for scoreless middle innings. RBI bases loaded singles by Matt Ruane and Jordan Edgett gave Bowdoin a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Adam Marquit followed with a SAC fly to right to make it a 3-0 contest.

Middlebury answered in the bottom of the inning, as Joseph Conway led off with a blast to left center for his second homer of the season. A bases loaded walk by Joey Liberator scored Zach Roeder, who had walked, making it a 3-2 game. The Panthers had the bases loaded with one out, but were unable to capitalize.

Bowdoin gained some breathing room in the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits. A two-run pinch-hit single by Kevin Zikaras plated a pair, while Dan Findley plated Zikaras with an RBI ground out. Middlebury cut the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the inning, when Donald McKillop scored Tyler Wark with a SAC fly to center.

Bowdoin added a run in the ninth to seal the win. Tim Welch improved to 4-0 on the season, allowing two earned runs and four hits over seven innings of work. Ben Higgins picked up the save with two innings of scoreless relief. Nick Angstman suffered the loss for the Panthers, allowing six runs over seven innings to fall to 2-1 on the year.

No Bowdoin player had multiple hits, as nine different Polar Bears had single hits on the day. Zikaras drove in a pair with one run scored, while Findley had two hits. Five different players had hits for the Panthers, including a double from Enns and a homer from Conway.

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