Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DUDLEY, Mass. (April 16) -- Senior Michael Rafferty (Framingham, Mass.) threw a three-hitter in a 7-1 nightcap victory over visiting Gordon College as the Nichols College baseball team split a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader with the Scots. A two-run home run by Eric Wolak proved to be the difference maker as Gordon won the opener, 5-1. Nichols stands at 7-15 overall and 2-8 in TCCC games after snapping a seven-game slide. Gordon dips to 6-22 overall and 3-13 in the conference.

Rafferty worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and kept a no-hitter going well into the sixth. A leadoff double to Geoff Brown in the seventh proved costly as he came around to score the Scots' only run on an outfield misplay. With the bases loaded, Rafferty finished out the game by inducing a flyout to center where Jarred Stuczynski (Whitinsville, Mass.) made a highlight-reel diving catch to end the game.

Catcher Dylan Courtney (Ware, Mass.) reached base in each plate appearance in the second game, scoring three times. He led off the third with a single and put the Bison on the board after advancing on a wild pitch and later coming around to score when Shayne McNally (Auburn, Mass.) reached via error. Courtney was part of a four-run Nichols fourth inning. He reached on an error with the bases loaded and sent three runs come across when a throwout attempt at third sailed wide. He capped the inning's scoring courtesy of a Mat Whitman (North Plainfield, N.J.) sac fly.

The Bison took advantage of a pair of errors in the seventh to score two more with two outs, with Whitman scoring from second on a Zac Johnson (Wakefield, R.I.) single to right.

Rafferty picked up his first win of the season, finishing with three hits over the final two innings. He fanned five and walked five in his first career complete-game effort. Stephen Myhren took the loss with five runs on five hits through five innings of work. As a team, the Bison stranded nine Scots on the basepaths, and left four of their own.

Wolak was the driving force behind the Scots' opening-game victory with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate including a two-run home run over the centerfield fence in the third inning. Kris Camelio led off the second with a single and put Gordon up, 1-0, on a Brown double. Wolak's shot gave the Scots a 3-0 lead after three before the Bison took advantage of a leadoff double from Stuczynski in the fourth to get one back on an Austin Martin (Cranston, R.I.) single.

Nichols got two quick outs to start the fifth, but Wolak started a two-out rally for the Scots with a single and scored when Myhren followed him up with a double to left. The Bison started their sixth with a double from Whitman, but couldn't take advantage this time, stranding him at third with three-straight outs. A Wolak drive to right was misplayed, giving the Scots their final run of the game in the seventh.

Robert Hinckley earned the win, scattering six hits and fanning two through six innings. Nichols' Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) struck out four and gave up nine hits and five runs (four earned) in the loss.

Nichols returns to action Sunday in a home 1 p.m. TCCC doubleheader against Wentworth. Gordon travels to New England College Monday for a 2 p.m. conference twinbill.


Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score