CLERMONT, Fla. (3/12/24) - The Nichols College softball team picked up a two-game split on its third day of competition in Florida on Tuesday, posting a 4-3 win over SUNY-Cortland before dropping an 8-5 decision to Montclair State University at Hancock Park.
With the split, the Bison move to a 4-2 overall record.
Game #1 vs SUNY-Cortland
Nichols took a 1-0 lead over the Red Dragons in the third inning as
Kyla Felicani scored from third on a walk. In the next at-bat, with runners at second and third,
Riley Chartier singled down the left field line to plate another two runs, putting the Bison ahead 3-0.
The Red Dragons added a run in the top of the third on their own RBI single, cutting the lead to 3-1.
With the score the same in the top of the fourth,
Erin Gour restored the three-run lead for the Bison with a solo homer to left field, her second of the season, to make it 4-1. Cortland cut the lead back to two runs in the fifth. With runners at first and third and two outs, the Red Dragons snared an infield single, sending the lead runner home to make it 4-2. However, the Dragons would be forced to leave the other two stranded as
Chloe Steiniger claimed the final out at third, unassisted.
The Red Dragons made the seventh inning interesting as they led off with a pair of walks, eventually loading the bases. As a result, a sacrifice fly-out to center field brought home the runner from third to cut the Bison lead down to one at 4-3, with two runners still left in scoring position. Neither runner would see a path to home, as Nichols claimed the final two outs to win the game.
From the circle, junior
Chelsea Indyk claimed her second win of the season (2-1) after five innings of work, allowing two runs on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts. Freshman
Ally McNamee and sophomore
Olivia Pedro split relief duty, both pitching one inning apiece.
Game #2 vs Montclair State University
After surrendering the opening run to the Red Hawks, the Bison exploded with a five-run top of the second. Felicani drove home Nichols' first run with a single to left-center field, before Chartier connected for her own single up the middle, allowing enough time for a second run to score. In the next at bat with a pair on base,
Ava Slavinsky found her pitch and drilled a triple to the right field fence, bringing home another two runs in the process to boost the Bison lead to 4-1. The final run came off the bat of Steiniger, who scored Slavinsky with a sac-fly to center field.
After three scoreless innings, the Red Hawks trimmed the deficit to 5-3 with back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the fifth. However, it didn't stop there for Montclair, as a grand slam four batters later completely turned the game upside down on the Bison, who now trailed 7-5.
Montclair went on to win by an 8-5 score after adding one final run in the bottom of the sixth on a passed ball.
Olivia Pedro (0-2) shouldered the loss for Nichols in game two, allowing five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts through four innings pitched. Indyk returned in relief, fanning three batters with two runs allowed on two hits.
The Bison will enjoy a day off before returning to the field on Thursday, March 14
th. Next on the docket for the Bison are matchups against Hamline University (4-1) at 4:00 PM, and Loras College (6-4) at 6:15 PM at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Florida.
