NEW LONDON, Conn. – Graduate student Kyle Bouchard collected five hits and two RBI for the Nichols College baseball team, which suffered a pair of losses at Mitchell College in the season-opener for both Saturday afternoon.

Game One – Mariners 6, Bison 3

Bouchard and classmate Jack Arend each picked up two hits and an RBI for the Bison while freshman Brennan Hyde recorded his first collegiate hit and RBI. Graduate student Jack Dicenso started on the bump and allowed two hits and four runs in 4.1 innings of work. He walked two and struck out five.

Game Two – Mariners 8, Bison 6

The Bison jumped out to an early 3-0 lead behind an RBI double off the bat of Bouchard and a two-run triple from sophomore Will Kleinhenz. After Mitchell tied the score at three, freshman Johnny Knox laced an RBI triple and later scored on an error to give NC a 5-3 advantage.  The home team rallied back and tied the game at five in the fourth before Bouchard scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to put the Bison ahead by one. The Mariners answered with three runs in their half of the frame to take the lead for good.

Junior Brendan Duffy started for Nichols and gave up two runs on four walks and one hit in 2.1 innings. Freshman Andrew Croteau was tagged with the loss as he allowed three hits and three runs in the fifth inning.