WORCESTER, Mass. – The Nichols softball team split a Thursday evening doubleheader in non-conference play against Worcester State, earning a 4-3 win in game one before suffering a 5-4 defeat in walk-off fashion in game two at the Ralph Raymond Diamond. The Bison now sit at 13-14-1 (5-5 CCC) while the Lancers advance to 20-12 (6-2 MASCAC).
Nichols returns to its home field for a doubleheader with the University of New England in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play on Saturday with the first pitch in game one set for noon.
Nichols 4, Worcester St. 3
The Bison used a three-run top of the first to climb out to a 3-0 advantage on RBI hits from
Allie Brown,
Bailey Littlefield, and
Riley Chartier. Nichols would add its fourth and final run in the top of the seventh as
Ava Slavinsky continued her strong performance at the dish this season with an RBI single.
Starter
Olivia Pedro went six complete innings without surrendering a run until the Lancers looked to put a rally together in the finale frame, scoring three runs before
Alyssa Ouellette entered and recorded three-straight outs to end the game and escape with a one-run win.
Nichols 4, Worcester St. 5 (8 inn.)
Nichols struck first under the lights in game two on an
Erin Gour RBI single to put the visiting team in front 1-0 after one. In the top of the third,
Bailey Littlefield knocked in
Allie Brown to give the Bison a two-run lead. In the bottom half, the Lancers would strike for two runs to tie the game, and in the third used an RBI single to take their first lead of the night.
Nichols would tie the game back up at 3-3 when
Chloe Steiniger crossed the plate on a
Jayda Cesar RBI single in the top of the seventh to continue the action into the bottom half. After
Chelsea Indyk retired the Worcester St. batters in the bottom of the seventh, the Bison retook the lead when Littlefield knocked in
Brianna Sulikowski to make it 4-3 Bison in the top half of the eighth.
Worcester St. used a two-run bottom of the eighth, including a double from Baez, to walk off with its 20th victory of 2023.