DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols baseball team split a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader with No. 6 Endicott on Saturday, with the win coming on a Jim Marasco walk off home run. With the results, the Bison now sit at 13-18 (7-4 CCC) on the year, while the Gulls find themselves at 25-5 (10-1 CCC).
 
Next up for the Bison is CCC foe Western New England on Tuesday, April 25 at the Nichols Baseball Field. The first pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
Nichols 5, No. 6 Endicott 4
 
The Bison got out to the early lead in game one, as Brennan Hyde scored Johnny Knox on a sac fly to make it 1-0. Luis Vargas picked up an RBI in the second inning with a base-hit through the right side to give Nichols the two-run advantage.
 
Endicott broke through in the fourth, picking up all four of their runs on four hits and two errors to take the lead. The Bison got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Brad Ellis led off with a double to right, later coming around to score on a squeeze play from Vargas. Both teams failed to score in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings as the bullpens of each team kept the bats quiet.
 
Down to their final out in the ninth, Knox kept Nichols alive with a base knock to center field. Jim Marasco stepped up to the plate, watching a first-pitch slider go by before crushing a fastball to left-center, clearing the fence, and sending the Bison into a frenzy. The walk off homer was Marasco's sixth big fly of the campaign, but none bigger than this one to hand the Gulls their first CCC loss of the year.
 
Knox, Hyde, Ellis, and Andrew Croteau all notched two hits for the Bison, with Knox and Ellis each scoring twice. Starting pitcher Jack Kabel tossed 5.1 innings, surrendering four runs (zero earned), and striking out five. Richard Pignone was terrific in relief for the Bison, pitching 3.2 innings of scoreless ball to pick up his fourth win of the season.
 
No. 6 Endicott 16, Nichols 0
 
The Gulls got on the board in the second inning, adding two runs on three hits and two errors. The bats came alive for Endicott the rest of the way, as they scored one in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, seven in the sixth, and three in the seventh to come away with the win in seven innings.
 
Will Kleinhenz, Luis Vargas, and Andrew Croteau all picked up hits for the Bison. Senior Patrick Sawyer started the game on the mound, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing three earned runs.