Bates’ Kyle Flaherty runs past Hamilton defenders during Saturday’s season finale. Flaherty, a Litchfield native and former Oak Hill High School standout, ran for 86 yards in his final colllege game. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)

LEWISTON — In the span of less than three minutes, Bates’ season finale spiraled out of control, and all because punter Justin Foley’s punts never got a chance to spiral.

A pair of blocked punts turned a one-point Bobcats lead at halftime into a two-score deficit after three quarters. Bates never recovered, losing 38-13 against Hamilton on senior day in a NESCAC football game at Garcelon Field on Saturday.

“Eighty-something percent of the time a punt is blocked, that team loses,” Bates coach Malik Hall said. “Unfortunately, we lost two blocked punts. One turned into a touchdown, the other precipitated a touchdown following, and it unravelled from there.”

Hall said that was really the storyline of his first season at the helm of the Bobcats (0-9). Some “pretty good” first halves — Bates led at half twice and was tied in two other games — followed by disappointing second halves.

The Bobcats led 13-12 at halftime, and traded punts back and forth with the Continentals (3-6) for the first four drives of the third quarter. The fourth punt — Foley’s second of the half — was blocked by Dana Marrocco before Jared Schwartz returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. A Bates three-and-out was followed by another blocked punt, which Ian Esliker deflected out of bounds.

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Joe Schmidt ran the ball in from 10 yards out on the next play to make it 25-13.

“We’ve had success this year with blocking a few punts,” Hamilton coach Dave Murray said. “We won the Wesleyan game with a blocked punt, we blocked a couple punts against Bowdoin. So that group has had some success, and they got a couple today, so that was awesome.”

Bates tried to claw back, running senior Kyle Flaherty seven straight times (for 26 yards) to close out the third quarter.

“I mean, today I came in, I just, I knew I needed to empty the tank and sell out. There was nothing left for me, obviously,” Flaherty, a Litchfield native, said.

The Bobcats fumbled the ball away on the first play of the fourth quarter, however, and Joe Park ran for a 42-yard touchdown five plays later — and one play after a running-into-the-kicker penalty on a Hamilton punt gave the Continentals a first down.

Bates played more composed in the first half. Park ran for 41 yards on Hamilton’s second play from scrimmage to get inside the Bobcats’ 10-yard line, but Bates held the Continentals to just a short field goal by Sam Thoreen. The next two Hamilton drives ended in punts — both of which were downed at the Bates 2-yard line, the second leading to a safety — and the third ended in a sack of quarterback Kenny Gray on fourth down.

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The Bobcats turned that turnover-on-downs into a touchdown drive, capped off by a 4-yard pass from Kevin Claflin to Matt Golden.

Claflin, a senior, was thrust into the starting quarterback role after the Bobcats’ top two quarterbacks both went down with injuries in recent weeks. A defensive back prior to this season, and a wide receiver to start his senior campaign, Claflin later threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Hayes.

“It was amazing. I mean, Kevin’s a special guy. Here on senior night, I mean, it’s tough,” Flaherty said. “We lost our starting quarterback a couple weeks ago, lost our second-string quarterback, and Kevin just didn’t even look twice. He just stepped in and did what he did. I think he had a good game. He worked hard, and, I mean, I can’t ask for a better teammate, better friend, really.”

The Continentals got to Claflin in the second half, forcing three second-half interceptions. He finished 7 of 22 for 103 yards.

Flaherty had a game-high 29 rushes for 86 yards.

Park, a freshman, ran 17 times for 187 yards and three touchdowns.

“He’s been a really pleasant surprise,” Murray said. “He had a heck of a game. We were able to run the football with him. We didn’t expect this kind of year out of Joe, and he was terrific.”

wkramlich@sunjournal.com

Bates College’s Kevin Claflin looks to throw as Hamilton’s Carmine Bruno pursues during Saturday’s game at Garcelon Field in Lewiston. Claflin, a wide receiver, played quarterback Saturday due to injuries to the Bobcats’ quarterbacks. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)Bates’ Kevin Claflin gets off a throw against the defense of Hamilton’s Justin Leigh (5) and James Ball (90). Claflin, a receiver, played quarterback Saturday due to injuries to the Bobcats’ quarterbacks. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)Hamilton’s James Ball looks down at Bates’ Kyle Flaherty after Flaherty was tackled during Saturday’s game at Garcelon Field in Lewiston. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)Bates running back Liam Spillane stiff-arms Hamilton’s Tim Russell during Saturday’s game at Garcelon Field in Lewiston. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)Bates College’s Jackson Hayes gets hit by Hamilton’s Colby Jones during Saturday’s game at Garcelon Field in Lewiston. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)Bates’ Kody Greenhalgh runs with the ball as Hamilton’s Carmine Bruno closes in during Saturday’s game at Garcelon Field in Lewiston. (Theophil Syslo/Bates College)