WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Macalester College baseball team wrapped up its 8-game trip to Florida for the RussMatt Central Florida Tournament with a 7-2 loss to Bates College Saturday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park. The Scots went 5-3 in Florida and head north with an overall record of 9-7.

Bates opened the game with a pair of runs in the first inning and scored another run in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. Macalester got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning, when senior outfielder Raymond McCaskey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs) hit a one-out double and first year outfielder John McMurray (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends) followed with a single to score McCaskey. In the top of the seventh, the Bobcats struck for three more runs on four hits before adding another run in the top of the eighth for a 7-1 advantage. The Scots loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth and sophomore outfielder Tristan Lander (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home junior infielder Holden Peacock (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid School). But that's all the offense Macalester would generate, as the Scots were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

McMurray concluded a successful trip by going 2-for-4 with a run batted in. In seven games in Florida, he batted .522 with seven RBIs and six runs scored. Junior pitcher Josh Schmidt (Chicago, Ill./Whitney M. Young Magnet) had a solid outing in relief, holding Bates to one run on five hits while striking out four and walking one in four innings of work.

Macalester plays a non-conference game at the University of Northwestern on Wednesday, March 25. The first pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. in Roseville, Minn.