PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Nichols baseball team slugged their way to a 14-5 victory against non-conference opponent Johnson and Wales (JWU) on Monday afternoon. The Bison pick up their third straight win to advance to 7-15 (3-3 CCC) on the season, while JWU falls to 13-10 (6-2 GNAC).
 
Nichols wasted no time getting the scoring going in the top of the first as Ben Jerome reached third on an error by the left fielder to lead off the game. Brennan Hyde roped a double two batters later to score Jerome and give the Bison the early 1-0 lead. With two runners on base in the third, senior Jim Marasco sent a ball over the left field fence for his third home run of the year, extending the Bison lead to four. Later in the inning, Brad Ellis knocked in Karl Miller to make it 5-0 Bison.
 
The Wildcats broke through in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double, but the Bison answered back with three runs in the top of the fifth, two of them on a base knock by Jerome, to make it 8-1. Nichols added a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth, with all runs coming off the bat of Miller, to take an 11-1 lead into the final frame. Will Kleinhenz joined the party in the top of the ninth, blasting his first home run of the year, a three-run shot, to give Nichols the 13-run lead.
 
Johnson and Wales scored four in the bottom of the ninth, but Eric Fields came in to record the final three outs and give Nichols their seventh win of the campaign.
 
Nichols got contributions up and down the lineup, with Miller leading the way going 4-5 with three RBI. Jerome, Kleinhenz, and Marasco all added multiple hits on the day with the trio combining for eight RBI. Sean Ryan, Richard Pignone, and Kyle McCutcheon combined for eight innings on the mound, allowing just one run and striking out 14, with Pignone earning his second win of the season.
 
The Bison look to stay hot tomorrow as they travel to Northborough, Mass. to take on Anna Maria at the New England Baseball Complex. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.