Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DUDLEY, Mass. – Sophomore Caitlyn O'Loughlin (Waterford, Conn.) drove in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the eighth to help the Nichols College softball team earn a split of their doubleheader with Gordon College Monday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action. The Bison rebounded from a 4-1 loss in game one to score a 9-8 win in game two.

Junior Amanda Broughton (Plymouth, Mass.) drove in three runs in the win while freshman Jordan D'Aurio (Northford, Conn.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI as the Bison (5-21, 3-9 CCC) snapped a nine-game losing skid. Junior Emily Watkins (Malden, Mass.) and sophomore Kaylee McNamara (Watertown, Mass.) also recorded two hits in game two.

Junior Skylar Bareford (Stonington, Conn.) had a two-run single in the opener for the Fighting Scots (7-19, 3-11 CCC) before freshman Gianna Palermo (Hope, R.I.) went 2-for-4 with two RBI in game two.

Nichols led 5-0 after three in game two behind an RBI triple and a sac fly by Broughton, and an RBI single from sophomore Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.). After Gordon got one back in the fourth, D'Aurio launched her first collegiate home run over the center field fence to make it 5-1 in favor of the home team.

Later in the game, the Bison tacked on two in the sixth on RBI singles from D'Aurio and junior Rebecca Palmarozza (Hamden, Conn.) to extend their lead to 8-4. The Fighting Scots answered with four runs in the seventh on RBI singles from junior Kendall Bukuras (North Falmouth, Mass.), junior Shannon Dodds (Audubon, Pa.), and Palermo, and a bases-loaded walk by freshman Alyssa Unumb (Bedford, Mass.). In the eighth, Orszulak moved to third on a wild pitch and, one batter later, scored on O'Loughlin's walk-off single.

Freshman Danielle White (Boston, Mass.) earned her second win of the season in relief of junior Rebecca Waszczuk (Chester, N.H.), who gave up four hits and three runs (one earned) in 4.2 innings of work. White, meanwhile, surrendered seven hits and five runs with two walks and two K's in 3.1 IP. Bareford was tagged with the loss as she allowed a total of seven hits and seven runs (six earned) with three walks and three strikeouts in 4.2 innings. She started the game, was lifted with one out in the fourth, and then brought back to start the seventh.

In the opener, Gordon put up a '3' spot in the third on a two-run single from Bareford and an RBI single off the bat of freshman Melissa Meenan (Wayne, Pa.). The Fighting Scots added one in the seventh before Broughton's single to center plated McNamara in Nichols' half of the inning.

Junior Kelly Beardslee (Thomaston, Conn.) picked up the win as she held the Bison to four hits and one run over seven innings of work. She fanned five and did not walk a batter. Sophomore Taylor Ferrazzi (Ashland, Mass.) took the loss, surrendering six hits and three runs in 2.2 IP.

 “We would have liked to come away with a sweep today, but at the end of the day, I told them, 'It doesn't matter how we get them, we just have to get wins,'” said Bison head coach Kristan Mallet. “Coming back from a game one loss and rallying in the late innings for a win in game two shows a little bit about who we are. I'm happy with that. There is a lot of learning going on with this team. We hope that we're pulling it altogether at the end of the season so that we can do some damage in the playoffs.”

The Bison entertain Endicott Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Fighting Scots host Regis (MA) Thursday at 4:30 p.m.