LEWISTON, ME - The Amherst College women's lacrosse team saw host Bates College break out of a 4-4 halftime tie to score six unanswered second half goals for a 10-4 win in NESCAC play on Saturday afternoon at Campus Avenue Field.

The win was the third in four games for the Bobcats, who raised their overall record to 5-3, while evening their conference mark at 2-2. Amherst dropped to 4-3 overall, 2-2 in NESCAC action.

Caroline Pierce and Briana Gross scored two goals apiece for Bates, while Caroline Thomas, Morgan Maciewicz and Molly Radis had one goal and one assist apiece. Maggie Reilly dished out two assists. Amy Craig (Denver, CO) led Amherst with a goal and an assist.

Mara Krueger earned the win in goal for Bates, making nine saves. Lamia Harik (Rye Brook, NY) made 10 saves for the Lord Jeffs in the loss, as Bates out-shot Amherst by a 35-20 margin.

Amherst scored in the first minute, with Lindsey Moran (Upper Montclair, NJ) feeding Allie Horwitz (Woodbridge, CT), for a 1-0 Jeffs lead, but Bates responded with three straight goals by Gross, Pierce and Maciewicz. Amherst called timeout and soon tied the game up at 3-3 with goals by Craig and Kelley Trapp (Monterey, CA). 

The two teams traded goals before the half was over, with Abby Saucier scoring for Bates and Tyler Tory-Murphy (Sea Cliff, NY) tallying for Amherst, knotting the teams at 4-4 at intermission. Both teams struggled on free-position opportunities in the first period, with Amherst going 0-for-10 and Bates going 0-for-6.

Caroline Thomas opened the second half with her 30th goal of the season, an unassisted tally, to put Bates ahead for good at 5-4 in the opening minute of play. Pierce and Gross both scored in the eighth minute of the half to make it 7-4, and Cameron Powel and Radis scored consecutive goals in a 50-second span with under 15 minutes to go to put Amherst in a 9-4 hole. Jenna Dannis scored the game's only free-position goal with 10:54 to play, finishing up the scoring in a half that featured four yellow cards for both teams.

Bates will host Tufts in another NESCAC game on Wednesday at 5 p.m.; Amherst will play at Babson on Tuesday at 7 p.m.