QUINCY, Mass. – Freshman Jessica Kuelling (Gales Ferry, Conn.) recorded four hits and drove in four runs for the Nichols College softball team, which earned a split of its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader at Eastern Nazarene College Friday afternoon at Mitchell/McCoy Field.
 
Game One: Nichols 6, Eastern Nazarene 1
Freshman Hayley Novia (Leicester, Mass.) and Taylor McIntosh (West Babylon, N.Y.) each drove in a pair of runs and classmate Alexis Ferris (Holyoke, Mass.) fanned eight in seven innings of work to improve to 9-3 on the season.
 
Leading 3-0 behind a two-run single by Novia and an RBI double from senior Christina Drake (Lebanon, N.H.), the Bison put up a '3' spot in the fifth to double their lead. Kuelling started the rally with an RBI double before McIntosh drove one down the right field line to plate Kuelling and senior Meghan Sears (Tewksbury, Mass.).
 
Game Two: Eastern Nazarene 9, Nichols 4
The Lions erased a four-run deficit with a run in the fourth and four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, sparked by a grand slam from freshman Elisabeth Schaffer (Benton, Pa.) in the fifth and a three-run blast by sophomore Lauren Clements (Garrison, Texas) in the sixth.
 
Kuelling staked the Bison to a 3-0 lead in the third when she cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. Later in the frame, Sears singled home Kuelling to push the lead to 4-0. After the Lions pushed across a run in the fourth, Schaffer's long ball over the centerfield wall gave the Lions a 5-4 lead after five. Clements round tripper the following inning extended the ENC lead to 9-4.
 
Sears allowed five hits and six runs (four earned) in 5.1 IP for Nichols. She walked three and did not strike out a batter.
 
All-Time Series
Today's games marked the 50th and 51st all-time meetings between Eastern Nazarene College and Nichols College. With the split, the Bison now lead the series, 37-11-1.
 
Next Games
Nichols (11-11, 4-6 CCC) – Monday, April 17 vs Endicott (DH), 3:00 p.m.
Eastern Nazarene (16-11, 4-8) – Monday, April 17 @ Wentworth (DH), 3:30 p.m.