QUINCY, Mass. – Sophomore Austin Martin (Cranston, R.I.) pitched a complete game five hitter, while classmates Zachary Johnson (Wakefield, R.I.) and Matthew Whitman (North Plainfield, N.J.) each had a pair of hits as the Nichols College baseball team defeated Wentworth, 5-2, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference game played at Eastern Nazarene College's Bradley Field.

The visiting Bison took an early 2-0 lead when junior Al Montalto (Wilmington, Mass.) doubled in sophomore Joshua Clark (Brunswick, Maine),who had led off the game with a double.  A wild pitch moved Montalto to third, and, after a flyout to left, a throwing error would score him.

Wentworth scored a single run in the third inning, as sophomore Matt Jordan drew a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second, and moved to third on a wild pitch.  He would score on an RBI groundout by junior Pete Oggeri. A single by sophomore Jake McManus and double by freshman Conner Flisnik  placed runners at second and third with two outs, but Martin got a strikeout to end the inning.

The Bison distanced themselves in the fourth, scoring three times, as Whitman had an RBI single, junior Cale LaCasse (Danielson, Conn.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Clark had a sacrifice fly.  LaCasse would steal second, but on the same play senior Robert Birkbeck (Worcester, Mass.) would get caught trying to steal home on the double steal.

Nichols left two runners on in both the sixth and seventh innings and would leave the bases loaded in the ninth inning.  Wentworth would trim the lead to 5-2 in the home half of the eighth on an RBI single from senior Nick Cunningham, but would leave runners at second and third.

Martin improved to 4-1 on the season with his complete-game effort.  Junior Doug Papuga suffered his first loss of the season (3-1), allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits and striking out five.  Senior Matt Chymbor, who would also have a hit and a run scored in the eighth, pitched two scoreless innings, allowing zero hits, walking three, and striking out four.

With the win Nichols improves to 12-13 overall and 7-7 in TCCC play.  The Bison are back in action on Thursday against Worcester State.  Wentworth suffered its second straight loss to fall to 20-8-1 overall and 9-4-1 in conference play.  The Leopards are at Babson Thursday.

Story courtesy Wentworth Sports Information

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