SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Nichols baseball team dropped a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) matchup to Western New England on Tuesday afternoon. With the loss, the Bison now sit at 4-13 (1-3 CCC) on the year, while the Golden Bears improve to 13-4 (1-2 CCC).
 
Western New England wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning as leadoff hitter Paul Villecco left the yard to make it 1-0. The Golden Bears tacked on two more runs in the inning to take a three-run lead. WNE added three more runs in the following inning, this time on a CJ Willis three-run home run to make it 6-0.
 
Nichols got on the board in the fourth inning on a Jim Marasco two-run homer, his second in as many games, to cut the WNE lead to four. However, the Golden Bears got the runs back in the bottom of the inning thanks to more big hits from Villecco and Willis. WNE added an insurance run in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 9-2. Nichols picked up a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Stanley Cipkas, but it was too little too late as the Golden Bears closed things out to snap the Nichols win streak at three.
 
First baseman Brad Ellis went 3-4 with a run scored on the day. Marasco added another base knock to go along with the home run. Richard Pignone and Chase Rancourt combined for four scoreless innings of work out of the bullpen in the loss.
 
The Bison look to get back in the win column on Wednesday, April 5 when they host Lasell at 3:30 p.m.