Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DUDLEY, Mass. – Sophomore Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.) tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the opener and also drove in a run to propel the Nichols College softball team to a pair of wins over Eastern Nazarene College Tuesday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action on Senior Day.

Senior Emalee Watkins (Malden, Mass.) went 4-for-7 with two RBI and a run scored as the Bison improved to 12-18 (7-11 CCC) with the wins and secured a berth in a conference play-in game this Saturday. Nichols returns to the playoffs following a one-year hiatus.

Watkins and classmate Rebecca Palmarozza (Hamden, Conn.) – who were honored along with senior Rebecca Waszczuk (Chester, N.H.) prior to the game – opened game one with back-to-back doubles to give the Bison a 1-0 lead. They tacked on one in the third on an RBI single off the bat of Fountain and an unearned run in the fifth to support Fountain, who improved to 8-12 with the victory.

Junior Carissa Cicolini (Methuen, Mass.) took the loss for the Lions (7-21, 3-15 CCC) as she gave up eight hits and three runs (one earned) in six innings. She walked one and struck out six.

The Lions pushed across an unearned run in the third inning of game two to move in front 1-0 before senior Sam Losano (Elverta, Calif.) drove in the Lions second run with a single in the fifth. Nichols answered with four in the sixth, making it 2-1 on an RBI single by freshman Meghan Sears (Tewksbury, Mass.) before Fountain scored on an error to tie the game at two. Later in the frame, Watkins laced a two-run single just inside the third base bag to bring in both Sears and freshman Jade Palladino (Lynnfield, Mass.) and put the home team ahead.  

Fountain started and surrendered four hits and two unearned runs in three innings before being replaced by Sears, who worked four shutout innings to earn her fourth win. Cicolini took the loss as she was tagged for eight hits and four runs (one earned) in six innings. She walked three and fanned seven.

The Bison close the regular season on Thursday with a DH at Fitchburg State. The Lions close their season with a pair against Regis (MA) Thursday.