BEVERLY, Mass. – The No. 4 Nichols softball team (21-18-1, 9-9 CCC) is gearing up for the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Playoffs, as they take on No. 5 Salve Regina (18-22, 9-9 CCC) in the first round on Wednesday, May 9 at the Endicott Softball Complex.
 
The Bison won 20 games this season under first-year head coach Caitlin Hitchcock, which marked their first 20-win season since the 2011 campaign. Nichols came away with some important conference wins along the way, defeating regular-season champion Endicott, No. 2 Western New England, and No. 3 Wentworth.
 
Powering the Bison lineup is sophomore Erin Gour, the team leader in home runs with five thus far. She also leads the team with a 1.048 OPS, and her 22 RBI is tied for the team lead as well.  The shortstop carries a .473 OBP, which is good for third in the CCC. Hitting in the top two spots in the lineup for the Bison are freshman Ava Slavinsky and senior Allie Brown. Slavinsky leads the team with a .365 batting average while holding an OPS over .800. Last year's CCC Second Team member in Brown makes things happen on the bases, leading the team in runs scored and stolen bases with 30 and 10, respectively. Freshman Bailey Littlefield and junior Mackenzie Jackson, each currently hitting above .340., also look to make an impact in the postseason.
 
In the circle, starting pitchers Chelsea Indyk and Olivia Pedro have each had impressive seasons for the Bison, despite their different styles. Indyk, a sophomore from Easthampton, Mass. holds a 2.54 ERA over 82.2 innings while ranking fifth in the conference in strikeouts with 89. In conference play, Indyk has pitched to a 0.42 ERA, which leads all qualified pitchers. Pedro, a native of North Providence, R.I., leads the team in innings pitched (112.2), wins (11), and complete games (10). The freshman also provides a sub-three ERA, currently sitting at 2.73. Senior Alyssa Ouellette and freshman Laney Martin will be seen out of the bullpen, as both made over 10 appearances in the regular season.
 
Nichols and Salve Regina battled in a doubleheader on April 16 at the Nichols Softball Field, with the Bison earning 7-6 and 4-3 victories, their only league sweep of the season. The last playoff matchup between the two teams came just last season as Nichols knocked off Salve, 10-6, to end the Seahawks' season.
 
Both teams will play two games on Wednesday, as the winner will take on the winner of No. 8 Gordon and No. 1 Endicott after the completion of Salve vs Nichols, with the loser of the first two games squaring off in the final game of the day. The first pitch against Salve is set for 12:15 p.m.