FITCHBURG, Mass. – Junior Christina Drake (Lebanon, N.H.) went 4-for-8 with three RBI to propel the Nichols College softball team to a sweep of Fitchburg State Thursday afternoon in non-conference action Thursday afternoon at Coolidge Park.
 
Game One: Nichols 12, Fitchburg State 2
Drake went 2-for-4 with three RBI and junior Meghan Sears (Tewksbury, Mass.) had three hits and two RBI in a rout of the Falcons. Drake recorded a two-run single in the first while Sears plated a pair with a single in the seventh.
 
That was more than enough run support for senior starter Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.), who gave up a pair of unearned runs over seven innings. She struck out three and also went 3-for-5 with two RBI at the plate.
 
Senior Tori Cyrus (Everett, Mass.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Falcons. Freshman Kaylee Sylvestre (Central Falls, R.I.) was tagged for 15 hits and 11 runs (five earned) in 6.1 innings of work.
 
Game Two: Nichols 5, Fitchburg State 4
Sophomore Kendall Meehan (Danvers, Mass.) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and freshman Zoe Chevrette (Wilbraham, Mass.) drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh to give the Bison their first sweep of the Falcons in program history.
 
Nichols scored two in the first and two more in the fourth to grab a 4-0 lead behind RBI from Fountain, Drake, and sophomore Kasey Ayer (Niantic, Conn.). The Falcons got two back in their half of the fourth on RBI hits from senior Brianna Uga (Everett, Mass.) and freshman Hayley McCarthy (Lawrence, Mass.). The pair then drove in a run each in the sixth to tie the game at four before Meehan doubled to lead off the seventh and scored on a two-out hit from Chevrette.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons got the tying run to third with two outs, but junior Katie Gildea (Bedford, Mass.) lined out to second to end the game.
 
Sears picked up the win as she allowed 10 hits and four runs over seven. She did not walk a batter and fanned four to move to 5-6 on the season. Junior Galen Kerr (Concord, Mass.) surrendered eight hits and five runs (three earned) with no walks and six strikeouts as her record fell to 8-8.
 
Drake finished the contest 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored. Uga and McCarthy were both 2-for-3.
 
All-Time Series
Today's games marked the 20th and 21st all-time meetings between Nichols College and Fitchburg State. The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak with a win in game one and, with the sweep, lead the series, 11-10.
 
Next Games
Nichols (14-14) – Saturday, April 23 @ Gordon, 1:00 p.m.
Fitchburg St. (15-13) – Saturday, April 23 @ Westfield St., 12:00 p.m.