Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass.-  Fight for a spot in next week's TCCC (The Commonwealth Coast Conference) Tournament, the Nichols baseball team split a doubleheader with Salve Regina on Sunday. The Bison took game one 4-3 in extra innings while the Seahawks cruised to a 17-3 win in the night cap. Nichols is now 7-23 overall and 5-13 in the conference. Salve is 21-15-1 overall and 11-8-1 in TCCC action. Freshman Austin Martin (Wakefield, R.I.) provided the game-winning hit for Nichols in the bottom of the eighth in game one.

The first three innings of game one saw just one hit for each team as Nichols' starter Andrew Besegai (Plymouth, Mass.) and Salve starter Alexander Magnan (Narragansett, R.I.) sailed.

The Seahawks scored one run off two hits in the top of the fourth and took a 3-0 lead with two runs off two more hits in the top of the fifth. Senior Matt Leonard (Ridgefield, Conn.) drove in the first run of the game with a single to left that scored junior Justin Collett (South Portland, Maine). Sophomore Riley Diaz' (Miami, Fl.) single in the fifth scored senior Matt Finlayson (Higganum, Conn.), who reached on a single to left.  Salve scored its second run of the frame off an error.

The Bison rallied in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game at 3-3. Freshman Joshua Clark (Brunswick, Maine) and junior Spike Birkbeck (Worcester, Mass.) started things off with back-to-back walks. Freshman Zach Johnson (Wakefield, R.I.) then delivered a two-out single to centerfield that scored Birkbeck. Freshman Christopher Nemeskal (Swampscott, Mass.) drove in two more runs with a double deep to left-center.

Besegai was superb the rest of the way for Nichols as Salve had just one base-runner in the final three innings. Freshman Mathew Whitman (North Plainfield, N.J.) advanced to second after reaching on a fielder choice in the bottom of the eighth with two outs. Martin then stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and gave Nichols the 4-3 victory with a rip to centerfield that scored Whitman from second.

Besegai improved to 2-3 on the year with the win as he allowed just three runs, two earned, off five hits in eight innings. Magnan, who struck out eight, fell to 1-4 as he allowed four runs off seven hits.

In game two, Salve Regina racked up six runs off four hits and one error in the first and added another five runs, including a three-run homer by Finlayson, in the second to break the game open.

Both Finlayson and sophomore Dave Miller (Shelton, Conn.) went 3-4 with two runs scored and four runs driven in. Sophomore Steven Guntharp (Williamsburg, Va.) went 2-3 with two runs scored and two runs driven. Junior Will Pearce (New Fairfield, Conn.) and Leonard both drove in two runs, scored two runs and had one hit. Freshman Patrick Quinn (Middletown, N.J.) earned the win on the mound, his fourth of the season. In seven innings he allowed just three runs, one earned, off six hits.

Sophomore Alexander Montalto (Wilmington, Mass.) went 2-4 with a double and a run batted in to lead Nichols. Sophomore Colby Jones (Brockport, N.Y.) went 1-4 with a double and a run scored. Senior Jamie Kimberly (Woodbury, Conn.) suffered the loss on the mound, his sixth of the year.

Nichols will be back in action on Wednesday at Anna Maria. Salve Regina will end its regular season at Roger Williams that same day.