DUDLEY, Mass. (4/13/24) - The Nichols College softball team swept both games of a Senior Day doubleheader against Suffolk University at the Nichols Softball Field on Saturday afternoon. The Bison won the first game in walk-off fashion, 8-3 in extras, then won the closer 4-1.

The Bison improve to 12-10 (6-2 CCC) overall with the sweep, while the Rams drop to 12-14 (3-3 CCC).  

Sophomore Allie Silliman led Nichols at the plate, going 4-for-7 (.571) on the day with two runs scored, two RBI and one steal, while also playing the hero in game one with a game-winning RBI single. Junior Erin Gour was also a standout performer, with two hits and two RBI, including a game-one homer. The Bison collected the dual victories after being out-hit by the Rams, 12-10.

Game 1

The afternoon opener went through three scoreless innings before Suffolk opened the scoring in the top of the fourth. The Rams scored their first run on a solo homer to left field, and later made it 2-0 on an RBI fielder's choice.

The Rams held the Bison off the score sheet all the way to the home half of the seventh inning, where Silliman led off with a single up the middle. Gour then followed it up with her fourth homer of the season to deep right-center, tying the game at 2-2 to force extra innings.

Suffolk claimed the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth after laying down a sacrifice bunt but were met with an aggressive Bison response in the bottom half of the frame. With a runner at third, Emily Iannuccilli scored the equalizer with an RBI ground-out to the pitcher, just before Chloe Steiniger smashed a long-ball triple down the right field line to put the Bison in position for the win. In the next at-bat, Silliman chipped a base hit into left field, plating Steiniger to finalize the walk-off victory for Nichols, 4-3.

Freshman Cassidy Machado (2-2) earned the victory out of the bullpen for the second time this week, tossing four innings while allowing just one hit. She relieved starter Chelsea Indyk, who scattered five runs, two earned, over an equal amount of work on Saturday. Both pitchers had one strikeout in the effort.

Game 2

Nichols broke into the score column first when Silliman hit an infield single to the Suffolk pitcher to drive in a run. Shortly thereafter, the Bison loaded the bases for senior Mackenzie Jackson, who took a stray pitch off the arm to move everyone ahead one spot, making it a 2-0 game.  

Following three scoreless innings, the Bison extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth. After loading the based a second time with one out, the first of the two runs scored by way of a passed ball, while the second crossed home plate off an RBI ground-out to short by Kyla Felicani. Suffolk would add a run in the top half of the sixth but come up empty in the seventh as the Bison completed the sweep to the tune of a 4-1 final.

Sophomore Olivia Pedro (2-5) picked up the win as the game two starter, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout. Both Indyk and Machado returned to the circle in relief, tag-teaming the final 2.2 innings of action. Indyk, who was the Nichols pitcher on the tail end, earned the save.

The Bison will be right back out there on Sunday, April 13th for a conference doubleheader at Curry College (10-14, 1-7 CCC), with game times set for Noon and 2:00 PM.