DUDLEY, Mass. (3/27/24) - The Nichols College softball team split its home-opening doubleheader on Wednesday evening against Wellesley College at the Nichols Softball Field. The Bison opened the twin-bill with a 4-0 shutout win, while the Blue battled back to earn a 3-2 win in the shortened nightcap.

Nichols is now 5-7 (0-0 CCC) on the season while Wellesley shifts to 7-5 (0-0 NEWMAC) overall.

Game 1: Nichols 4, Wellesley 0

The Bison bats started swinging early on in the first inning, beginning with a lead-off infield single by sophomore Ava Slavinsky. In the next at-bat, Slavinsky moved around to third following a throwing error by the Wellesley pitcher, before eventually crossing home plate on an RBI single by junior Chloe Steiniger for the game's first run. Steiniger, along with sophomore infielder Allie Silliman, were then both driven home as a result of an Erin Gour single to left-center field, amplifying the Bison lead to 3-0 after one.

The game was then scoreless through the next three innings with a combined five baserunners until Nichols added some insurance in the bottom of the fifth. With runners at first and second and two outs, Bailey Littlefield punched home Nichols' fourth run of the game after reaching on a dropped fly ball by the Wellesley right fielder, despite eventually being thrown out at second later in the play. The fourth run proved to be the game winner for the Bison, who limited the Blue to just one hit the rest of the way.

Chelsea Indyk (4-1) was lights out from the circle for Nichols, pitching both the shutout and the complete game through seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts, and five hits allowed.   

Game 2: Nichols 2, Wellesley 3 (6 innings, Darkness)

Senior Lily Fangel scored as the lead runner on an RBI single to right by Silliman in the bottom of the first inning, putting the Bison ahead 1-0. Then, in the top half of the second, Wellesley got a pair of runners on base with separate walks, which then set them up for the tying run after a single into center field turned into a Bison error, knotting the game up at 1-1.

With the bases loaded for Nichols following three consecutive two-out walks, Wellesley added a fourth walk to bring in the go-ahead run for the Bison in the bottom of the third, making it a 2-1 ballgame. However, the Bison would not be able to hold the lead for long, as back-to-back wild pitches advanced a Blue runner from first to third, eventually resulting in an RBI on a ground out to the shortstop. The 2-2 tie remained until the top of the sixth, where Wellesley claimed their first lead of the afternoon thanks to a RBI single up the middle.

The game would then be called final after six innings due to daylight concerns.

The Bison will now head to Roger Williams University (9-5, 0-0 CCC) for a league-play doubleheader on Saturday, March 30^th starting at Noon.