Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Sophomore Rachel Dalrymple (Belvidere, N.J.) laced a two-run single in the top of the seventh as the Nichols College softball team rallied for four runs in the seventh to steal a 9-6 win from Nazareth College in non-conference softball action Thursday morning at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic the at Lee County Sports Complex.

Junior Rebecca Palmarozza (Hamden, Conn.) also drove in a pair as the Bison overcame five errors in the field to win their season-opener. Dalrymple and junior Amanda Broughton (Plymouth, Mass.) each recorded two hits and freshman Lindsay Rappazzo (Mashpee, Mass.) worked the final 3.2 innings to record her first collegiate victory.

Trailing by a run and down to their last out, the Bison loaded the bases for freshman Victoria Utter (Stafford Springs, Conn.), who plated freshman Colleen Guthrie (Hamden, Conn.) with a single up the middle. Broughton followed with a single over the head of the pitcher that scored sophomore Patricia Stacy (Pembroke, Mass.) and put Nichols ahead 7-6. Dalrymple's single to right brought in two more and put Nichols ahead 9-6.

"We grabbed a quick lead and then had to come from behind a few times, and I was very proud of our performance," said head coach Kristan Mallet. "Our bats came alive at the right time."

Freshman Maureen Roberts (Clarence, N.Y.) drove in a pair for the Golden Flyers, who slipped to 2-7 with the loss. Classmate Danae Wetherbee (Geneva, N.Y.) suffered the loss in relief, allowing three hits and four unearned runs in 2.1 innings of work.

The Bison return to action this afternoon with a 1 p.m. game against Ohio Wesleyan. Nazareth was set to close their trip south against North Central (Ill.) at 11 a.m.