DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols softball team used strong pitching and defense to sweep Wednesday afternoon's doubleheader against Mitchell in their home opener by the finals of 3-1 and 5-2. With the wins, the Bison improve to 5-8-1 (0-0-0 CCC) on the season, while the Mariners fall to 9-5 (0-0 NECC).
 
Nichols carries a three-game win streak into Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play this weekend when they take on Curry on Saturday, April 1 at the Nichols Softball Field. The first pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.
 
Nichols 3, Mitchell 1
 
The Mariners got on the board quickly in the top of the first inning, cashing in on a leadoff double by Sarah Aviles to take a 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Olivia Pedro settled in very nicely for the Bison after the leadoff double, retiring the next 14 batters in order.
 
Mitchell starting pitcher Katelyn Lipsky kept the Bison offense in check for the first three innings, allowing just one baserunner. Nichols finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when senior Allie Brown led off the inning with a double. Brown worked her way to third on a wild pitch and was eventually knocked in on an Erin Gour two-out infield hit to tie the game at one apiece. Pedro escaped a two-out jam in the top of the fifth to keep the score tied heading into the later innings.
 
Nichols once again got the leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the fifth, this time on a Mackenzie Jackson base hit up the middle. Freshman Riley Chartier was able to get Jackson to second on a sac bunt before Brianna Sulikowski singled up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out. Emily Iannuccilli stepped up to the plate, grounding a ball slowly to third, scoring Jackson who beat the throw home to give Nichols the lead. The Bison added an insurance run later in the inning on an RBI groundout by Brown to extend the lead to 3-1. Pedro slammed the door in the sixth and seventh innings to give Nichols their first home win of the season.
 
Pedro limited the Mariners bats to just three hits, while also not allowing any free passes. The 66-pitch complete game was good enough for her third win of the season. The Bison got hits from Brown, Gour, Jackson, and Sulikowski, with Brown, Gour, and Iannuccilli picking up the RBIs.
 
Nichols 5, Mitchell 2
 
Nichols right-hander Laney Martin worked around a one-out triple in the top of first in her first career start to retire the side. Much like the first game, both starting pitchers were locked in early as the game remained scoreless through three and a half innings.
 
Freshman third baseman Ava Slavinsky led off the bottom of the fourth for the Bison with a double to left center. Slavinsky tagged up on a flyout to right field by Brown, forcing a throw that bounced past the third baseman, allowing Slavinsky to score the first run of the game. Nichols kept their foot on the gas, using a double by Allie Sillimann and a single by Jackson to score their second run of the inning. The biggest hit of the game came off the bat of Erin Gour, as she crushed a ball over the center field fence for a two-run home run to extend the Nichols lead to four. The homer was Gour's third of her career and the first of the season for the Bison.
 
Martin worked around a leadoff error, picking up two strikeouts in the process, to retire the side in the fifth. The Bison went back to work on offense in the bottom of the fifth, with Slavinsky singling through the left side, stealing second, and crossing home on a base hit by Brown to make it 5-0. Mitchell finally got a rally going in the sixth, scoring two runs on two hits and a walk to bring themselves within three.
 
After Mitchell loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, the Bison brought out Pedro for the save. The freshman hurler got a strike out and a flyout to end the threat and complete the afternoon sweep for the Bison.
 
Martin tossed five full innings, allowing just two hits and two runs while picking up seven punchouts en route to her first career win. Alyssa Ouellette and Pedro combined for the final six outs of the game, with Pedro earning her first career save. Slavinsky had a big day at the plate, going 3-3 and scoring two runs. Sillimann picked up two hits in three at-bats on the afternoon, while Gour knocked in two runs with the long ball.