DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols softball team split Saturday's doubleheader against Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opponent Western New England (WNE), losing the first game 6-4 before winning the second 4-2. With the results, Nichols now sits at 8-11-1 (3-3 CCC) on the season, while WNE is now 14-8 (4-3 CCC).
The Bison are set to square off against Clark in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 11 at the Nichols Softball Field. The first pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
Western New England 6, Nichols 4
After a 1-2-3 top of the first, the Bison jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by
Bailey Littlefield. Both teams went quietly in the second inning, but the Golden Bears got on the board in the third, scoring three runs on three hits including two doubles to take a 3-1 lead.
The score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the fifth when Nichols got the first two runners on and tied the game up with a two-RBI single by freshman
Ava Slavinsky. Following a pitching change,
Allie Silliman broke the tie with a base hit, scoring Slavinsky. The Golden Bears got back-to-back groundballs to end the inning. Western New England answered back in the sixth, with the leadoff hitter reaching on a hit-by-pitch to start the inning. A slow grounder to third put a runner in scoring position, and two wild pitches brought her home to tie the game. The Bison were set down in order to retire the side in the sixth and head to the final inning all tied up at four.
WNE led off the final frame with a walk and a double, putting runners on second and third. A groundball to shortstop that took a tough hop scored a run, and a sac fly two batters later made it a 6-4 game. Nichols brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but an infield pop-up ended the game.
Slavinsky led the way for the Bison offense, picking up three hits in four at-bats to go along with the two RBI. Starting pitcher
Olivia Pedro tossed 5.2 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs.
Nichols 4, Western New England 2
After a scoreless first and second inning, WNE broke open the scoring in the top of the third, using a walk, an error, and a base hit to take a 1-0 lead. The Bison finally got on the board in the fourth, loading the bases on singles by Littlefield and Silliman before
Erin Gour was hit by a pitch.
Mackenzie Jackson drove in the tying run on a base knock to right field and
Chloe Steiniger followed it up with a single of her own to take a 2-1 lead. Nichols picked up another run in the inning on an RBI groundout by
Allie Brown.
Starting pitcher
Laney Martin kept the Western New England bats silenced for the next two innings, picking up a big strikeout to end the sixth inning. The Bison added an insurance run thanks to another RBI single by Brown, scoring Steiniger to make it 4-1.
WNE refused to go quietly in the top of the seventh, leading the inning off with a walk and a base hit to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Chelsea Indyk came in to pitch for the Bison, setting down the first batter she faced on a sacrifice fly, and getting the next two batters to pop up to seal the win for Nichols.
The Bison strung together 10 hits, with Brown, Littlefield, Silliman, and Steiniger all picking up two hits. Martin was solid in the circle, tossing six innings of two-run ball and striking out five.
