FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Nichols College softball team defeated Alfred State 9-5 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic Sunday afternoon in non-conference action at North Collier Regional Park.

The Bison put up a five spot in the first despite recording just one hit. The Pioneers walked seven Bison to go along with four wild pitches and one passed ball. In the frame, freshman Zoe Chevrette (Wilbraham, Mass.) recorded an RBI single and classmate Callie Andrews (Southbridge, Mass.) drew a bases-loaded walk to pick up her first collegiate RBI.

The Pioneers got one back in their half of the first before Nichols sophomore Kendall Meehan (Danvers, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk in the second and came around to score on a single off the bat of senior Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.), making it 6-1. Alfred State cut its deficit to 6-2 in the bottom of the frame, but a sac fly from junior Christina Barrows (Carver, Mass.) in the third made it a 7-2 Bison lead.

Alfred State pushed across one in its half of the third and two more in the sixth to make it a 7-5 game. The Bison tacked on two more in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-5. Junior Samantha DiReda (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was hit to lead off the inning and later scored on an error, and Meehan's sac fly plated Barrows with the second run of the inning.

Meehan slammed the door in the seventh to record her second complete-game win of the season and move to 2-2 on the season. She allowed nine hits and five runs (three earned) with one walk and five strikeouts.

Nichols committed a total of four errors on the afternoon which accounted for two unearned runs.

The Bison (2-3) play Saint Joseph's (CT) at 11:00 a.m.