NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - The Nichols College baseball team swept Eastern Nazarene in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Monday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex.
 
The Bison took Game 1, 8-3, before turning around and winning Game 2, 8-2. This is the third-consecutive year that the Bison have swept the season series with the Lions.
 
Game 1
 
Junior StigErik McElhinney (Dracut, Mass.) moved to 3-0 on the season after tossing his second-straight complete game against a conference opponent. McElhinney allowed three runs (all earned) on four hits while walking three and striking out six through seven innings of duty.
 
The Bison were able to get to junior Alex Way (Syracuse, N.Y.) – who came into the game 3-0 and having allowed just one earned run all season. Way allowed eight runs (two earned) on eight hits through six innings of work while walking three and striking out four.
 
Junior Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.) finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and two RBI while freshman Christopher Cerniglia (Monroe, N.J.) reached base in every trip to the plate (two hits, two walks) also scored a run.
 
Junior Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.) hit a sac-fly in the third inning to even the score 1-1 and had the biggest hit of the game for the Bison when he tripled to center field – scoring Cook, and freshmen Xavier Quinones (Hartford, Conn.) and Christian Naccari (Ossining, N.Y.).
 
Game 2
 
The Bison scored the first seven runs of the game on their way to a sweep of the Lions – and move to 4-0 in conference-play so far this year.
 
Roy followed up his four-RBI performance from Game 1 with a three-hit effort in game two – including another RBI-triple that scored Cook in the third. Roy would later score on a single to right field from Cerniglia to push the Bison ahead 3-0.
 
Naccari – who was named the CCC Rookie of the Week earlier in the day – finished Game 2 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Cook extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI-double in the fourth inning that brought home sophomore Andrew Doll (Plantation, Fla.).
 
The Lions were led by sophomore Zachary Carmody (Babylon, N.Y.) who finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Freshman Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) reached base three times (one hit, two walks) and scored a run.
 
Senior Adam Rigney (Niantic, Conn.) moved to 4-1 on the season after allowing just two runs through six innings of work. He gave up just five hits while walking four and striking out a pair of Lions. Junior Kevin Kirley (Clinton, Mass.) came on to pitch a scoreless seventh.
 
Junior Brent Houle (Westfield, Mass.) took the loss for the Lions after allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walks through four innings.
 
All-Time Series
The Bison have now won six-consecutive meetings with the Lions and lead the all-time series at, 39-22.
 
Next Games
Nichols (12-7, 4-0 CCC) – Thursday, April 6 vs Becker, 3:30 p.m.
Eastern Nazarene (5-8, 1-3 CCC) –Wednesday, April 5 vs Lesley, 6:00 p.m.