Dudley, Mass. – The Nichols softball team picked up two non-conference wins on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping Clark with 9-1 and 10-6 victories. With the wins, the Bison improve to 10-11-1 (3-3 CCC) on the season, while Clark falls to 4-21 (0-6 NEWMAC).
 
Nichols returns to Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Saturday, April 15 when they travel to Boston, Mass. to take on Suffolk with the first pitch set for 12:00 p.m.
 
Nichols 9, Clark 1
 
Clark scored the game's first run in the top of the first, as the leadoff batter reached on a hit-by-pitch and came all the way around to score. The Bison answered back in the bottom of the inning, as the first three batters all picked up hits, with one of them being an RBI single by Ava Slavinsky, to even the score at one. Clark recorded the next two outs on a fielders choice, but junior Mackenzie Jackson came through with a two-out knock, scoring two runs to give Nichols the 3-1 lead.
 
Starting pitcher Olivia Pedro settled in nicely after the first inning, allowing just two baserunners the rest of the way to hold Clark to one run. Nichols added two runs in the third inning on three hits and two errors to extend their lead to four.
 
The Bison broke the game open in the fifth, as an Erin Gour single scored two runs to make it 7-1. Nichols loaded the bases thanks to a hit-by-pitch and a walk, followed by an error by the shortstop, scoring Gour. Brianna Sulikowski came up to the plate with the bases loaded and a chance to end the game early, bouncing a ball to short and bringing Chloe Steiniger home to give the Bison the win due to the mercy rule.
 
Jackson led the way for the Bison offense, collecting a hit in all three at-bats to go along with an RBI. Gour drove in three runs with two hits, while also scoring a run. Pedro cruised through the Cougars' lineup, tossing five innings and allowing no earned runs.
 
Nichols 10, Clark 6
 
Clark once again jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, scoring three runs and forcing a pitching change from the Bison. Senior Alyssa Ouellette came in to record the final out of the inning with runners in scoring position to keep the game at 3-0. Nichols bounced back in the bottom of the second, as Gour ripped a double to left field, scoring Silliman. Two batters later, Emily Iannuccilli stepped up to the plate and roped a ball past the first baseman, scoring Gour and Emma West-Testo to tie the game at three.
 
Clark broke the tie in the fifth, picking up two runs on three hits and an error to make it 6-4. The Bison responded in a big way in the bottom half of the inning, as the first three batters reached to load the bases and bring up Jackson. The catcher laced a ball to left field, scoring two runs, one of them on an error by the left fielder, to tie the game. Allie Silliman followed Jackson with a double in the left-center gap, scoring two more runs to give Nichols the 8-6 lead. The hits kept coming for the Bison, as Gour doubled down the left field line to score Silliman and force a pitching change by the Cougars. Sulikowski later singled home Gour with two outs in the inning to make it a 10-6 game.
 
The Cougars loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate, but Chelsea Indyk induced a pop-up and a strikeout to end the threat and gave the Bison their 10th win of the campaign.
 
Gour built upon her game one performance with three more hits and two more RBI in game two to power the Bison offense. Sulikowski, Silliman, and Bailey Littlefield all notched multiple hits, with each knocking in at least one run in the victory. Indyk earned her third win of the season with 2.2 innings out of the pen, allowing just one hit and striking out two.