Hartford, Conn. – Senior co-captain Kara Nilan (Pittsfield, Mass.) allowed just one hit from the mound, and collected three with her bat to lead the Bowdoin College Polar Bears to a 3-1 win over the Trinity College Bantams in a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East softball opener this afternoon on Campus Field.  Trinity slips to 9-6 on the season, while Bowdoin improves to 6-11.

Nilan singled and scored on a triple by sophomore Toni DaCampo (Woburn, Mass.) in the opening frame, giving herself a 1-0 advantage as she took the mound in the bottom half of the inning.  Trinity went hitless in the opening four frames, but managed to even the score on an unearned run in the third when Christina Galese (Fairfield, N.J.) walked and scored. 

Bowdoin first-year Hanna Wurgaft (Montclair, N.J.) singled, stole a base, and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth, as the Polar Bears reclaimed a 2-1 lead.  Trinity put runners on second and third in the bottom half of the inning, but Nilan picked up a strikeout and groundout to preserve the Bowdoin lead. 

The Bantams picked up their first and only hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning -- a double by senior co-captain Katherine Stoltenberg (Montgomery, N.J.) -- but Trinity was unable to get the tying run across the plate.  Bowdoin increased their lead to 3-1 on a triple by junior Hillary Smyth (Hollis, N.H.) and an RBI-single by Nolan, who completed her standout performance with two perfect innings on the hill.

Trinity junior Katherine Poulos (Wilton, Conn.) went the distance for the Bantams, allowing just two earned runs and striking out eight.  Nilan struck out four and picked up three hits and an RBI for Bowdoin.

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