COCOA, Fla. (March 15) – The Nichols College baseball team drew even on the season after a 6-4 victory over Hilbert College on Monday at the Cocoa Expo. Dan Smith (Verona, N.J.) and Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) each drove in two runs in the win. Al Montalto (Wilmington, Mass.) was 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and two runs scored. Nichols improves to 2-2 and faces Baruch for a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Nichols scored one in the first and extended its lead to 4-0 after three thanks in part to a two-run single from Gill and a pair of stolen bases from Montalto.

After Hilbert got one unearned run in the top of the fourth, Montalto led off the bottom of the frame with a double, stole third and came around to score on an RBI single from Smith. George Sergi (Blackstone, Mass.) pushed the Bison ahead by scoring on an error, making the score 6-1 in favor of the Bison.

Hilbert sent three across the plate with two outs in the sixth on four hits, scoring two on a Matt Begeal double.

Michael Rafferty (Framingham, Mass.) earned the win in his first start on 10 hits, allowing four runs (three earned) while walking one. Tim Smith (Plainfield, Conn.) picked up the save by retiring the final batter with two runners on in the ninth.

Jacob Simonick took the loss for Hilbert, allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits, striking out two and walking one. 

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