DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols baseball team slugged their way past Wentworth, 16-5, on Tuesday afternoon to pick up their fifth Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) win in a row. With the win, the Bison improve to 11-16 (6-3 CCC) on the season, while the Leopards now sit at 2-22 (1-10 CCC).
 
Wentworth struck first in the top of the first inning on a two-run home run to right center to give the Leopards the early lead. It was all Bison from there on out, as Nichols put up five runs, all with two outs, in the first thanks to a pair of two-RBI doubles by Kelvin Gutierrez and Kyle Birks. The Bison added two in the second on RBI groundouts from Jim Marasco and Karl Miller to make it 7-2.
 
After another scoreless inning from starting pitcher Sean Ryan, Gutierrez continued the scoring for the Bison, this time launching his first home run of the season to deep right field, giving Nichols the six-run advantage. Another RBI base knock from Marasco later in the inning made it 9-2 Bison. Wentworth picked up a run in the fourth on a homer to left center, but once again Nichols answered with three runs of their own to extend their lead to nine.
 
After two Wentworth runs in the fifth, freshman Aidan Whitten came on in relief to toss a scoreless sixth and seventh inning. After two walks to lead off the bottom of the seventh, an error by the left fielder scored two more making it 14-5. Marasco stepped to the plate, crushing a ball over the fence in right center to give Nichols the 16-5 win in seven innings.  
 
Marasco and Gutierrez each had two hits for the Bison, with Marasco accounting for four RBI and Gutierrez three. Birks reached base in all four plate appearances, collecting a double and working three walks.
 
The Bison ride their four-game win streak into tomorrow when they take on Dean in a non-conference matchup on the Nichols Baseball Field. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.