Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FORT MYERS, Fla. (Mar. 12) – The Nichols College baseball team swept Newbury, 5-1 and 11-9, in its season opener Saturday, facing the Nighthawks at George Brett Field in the Gene Cusic Classic.

Senior Austin Martin (Wakefield, R.I.) had a two-run single and a solo home run in the first game, plating a pair in the third inning before capping the Bison's scoring in the fifth with a leadoff shot. Nichols also scored two runs in the fourth, taking advantage of an error before an RBI single from Chris Nemeskal (Swampscott, Mass.) and a run-scoring groundout from Josh Clark (Brunswick, Maine).

The Bison battery surrendered just four hits, including two through the first five innings, as starter JC LeBarron (Bennington, Vt.) and winning pitcher Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) each gave up one in two innings apiece. Scott Leecock (Palmer, Mass.) surrendered an unearned run in the sixth, but worked out of a first-and-third situation to end the inning before Nick Fowler (Salem, Mass.) came on the close out the game.

In the nightcap, Nichols led, 9-4, before the Nighthawks exploded for five runs in the sixth to tie it up. Nichols rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh when pinch runner Richie Burke (Newburyport, Mass.) came across on a wild pitch and Nemeskal knocked in a run with a two-out single. Newbury stranded three Bison runners on base to end the inning, but Fowler came on in the bottom of the frame for a 1-2-3 finish to close out the win.

Nichols is back in action on Sunday with a 10 a.m. doubleheader against Lasell at Terry Park 1.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score