BEVERLY, Mass. – The Nichols baseball team saw their season come to a close in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Playoffs, battling No. 1 Endicott but eventually falling 3-2 in 12 innings. The Bison finish the 2023 campaign with a record of 15-25 (9-7 CCC).
 
After a scoreless first inning, Luis Vargas led off the top of the second with a double, scoring two batters later, on an RBI knock by Brad Ellis. Sophomore William Nath followed up Ellis with a base hit of his own to put runners on first and second with one out. Two wild pitches brought Ellis around to score, giving Nichols the early 2-0 lead.
 
Endicott loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but senior right-hander Patrick Sawyer induced a big 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam. The Gulls finally broke through in the fifth, as Caleb Shpur left the yard to cut the Bison lead in half.
 
Endicott threatened once again in the eighth, putting runners on the corners with nobody out, but once again Sawyer buckled down, getting a popup, groundout which cut the runner down at home, and a lineout to keep the score 2-1, Nichols. Down to their final two outs, Endicott's Joseph Millar launched a home run to right field, tying the game at two. Reliever Nolan Sullivan came on for the Bison, recording the final two outs of the inning to send the game into extras.
 
In the 12th, a one-out single and a stolen base set up Endicott with a runner in scoring position. After Shpur was intentionally walked, bringing up Dylan Pacheco. The junior found a gap in right field, bringing home the winning run and putting an end to the Bison's season.
 
Sawyer was tremendous for the Bison, going 8.1 innings, allowing two runs, and striking out six. Johnny Knox and Jim Marasco each reached base twice, with Knox picking up a hit and a walk, and Marasco walking once while also being hit by a pitch.