DUDLEY, Mass. – Freshman Alexis Ferris (Holyoke, Mass.) struck out 15 batters and earned a pair of wins for the Nichols College softball team, which swept the University of New England Sunday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at the Nichols Softball Field.
 
The sweep was the first for the Bison against the Nor'easters since April 16, 2011.
 
Game One: Nichols 7, UNE 0
Ferris scattered four hits and struck out eight in seven innings of work to record her sixth win of the season. Offensively, junior Kendall Meehan (Danvers, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI while senior Christina Barrows (Carver, Mass.), sophomores Callie Andrews (Southbridge, Mass.) and Zoe Chevrette (Wilbraham, Mass.), and freshman Cara Mayhew (Brooklyn, Conn.) each drove in one run.
 
Chevrette plated the first run of the game on a groundout in the first before the Bison threw up a '5' spot in the fourth inning to open up a 6-0 lead. The big blow in the inning came off the bat of Mayhew, who laced a two-run double to center. Meehan doubled home Barrows in the sixth to close the scoring.
 
Freshman Melissa Jakubowski (Danbury, Conn.) was tagged for seven hits and six runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings in defeat.
 
Game Two: Nichols 6, UNE 1
Freshman Jessica Kuelling (Gales Ferry, Conn.) drove in a pair and Ferris struck out seven in a complete-game effort. The Bison scored single runs in the first and third innings on an RBI single down the right field line and an RBI groundout from Kuelling.
 
Sophomore Caroline Schoenbucher (Barrington, N.H.) reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to cut the UNE deficit in half at 2-1. The Bison responded in their half of the frame with two runs, one coming on a single off the bat of Meehan. They tacked on two more in the sixth when Andrews walked and came around to score on a single from Barrows, and on an RBI groundout from senior Christina Drake (Lebanon, N.H.).
 
That was more than enough support for Ferris, who surrendered four hits and one run. She was aided by a pair of run-saving catches by Barrows in the seventh, one on a sinking line drive and another on a long fly ball that fell just short of a home run.
 
Sophomore Sydnee Bessler (Everett, Mass.) allowed seven hits and four runs (one earned) in five innings for UNE. She walked one and struck out three.
 
All-Time Series
Today's games marked the 40th and 41st all-time meetings between Nichols College and the University of New England. With today's sweep, the Bison snapped a seven-game losing skid to the Nor'easters and now trail the series, 24-17.
 
Next Games
Nichols (9-7, 3-5 CCC) – Tuesday, April 11 @ Framingham St. (DH), 3:00 p.m.
UNE (8-8, 4-4 CCC) – Wednesday, April 12 vs Wentworth (DH), 3:00 p.m.