DUDLEY, Mass. (4/27/24) – The Nichols College softball team pulled off back-to-back walk-off wins on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Wentworth Institute of Technology by scores of 5-4 and 12-11 in conference play at the Nichols Softball Field.

With the pair of wins, the Bison gain some ground in the conference standings and improve to 20-16 (9-5 CCC) overall. Wentworth falls to 19-15 (7-5 CCC) with the two setbacks.

Between the two games, the Bison scored 17 runs on 21 hits, led by junior Chloe Steiniger who went 5-for-7 with seven RBI, which included a game one three-run home run. Sophomore Allie Silliman connected for four hits on the day, along with four runs scored, while freshman Kyla Felicani made contact three times. Of 11 players to hit the field for Nichols, nine came away with hits.

Game #1

Wentworth struck first in game one, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Following consecutive base hits to open the frame, the two runners advanced to second and third on an infield ground out to put two in scoring position. The Leopards would plate the lead runner on a sac-fly to right to open the scoring.

Both teams went scoreless through the next two innings until Nichols plated the tying run in the bottom of the sixth. After reaching on a fielder's choice, junior Erin Gour pushed up to third on a Steiniger double to left-center field, placing runners at second and third. In the next at-bat, senior Lilly Fangel delivered Gour home with an RBI base hit down the left field line, knotting the game up at 1-1.

Following a scoreless seventh inning for both sides, the Leopards stacked up three runs in the top of the eighth inning to erase the tie and take the lead, 4-1. The first run scored on an RBI single to right-center with two outs, while the remaining two scored by way of a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line. Even still, the four-run cushion would not be enough to halt the Bison response.

With Felicani at third, Gour brought her home after reaching on another Wentworth fielding error, which made it a 4-2 ballgame. To follow, Steiniger stepped to the plate and went yard for her fourth homer of the season, tying the game at 4-4. Sophomore Riley Chartier followed it up with a double down the left field line, while Bailey Littlefield answered the call shortly thereafter with an RBI single to left, scoring Chartier and securing the walk-off win in game one. 

Sophomore Olivia Pedro pitched 7.2 innings, striking out five batters. Junior Chelsea Indyk (9-5) relieved Pedro in the eighth, picking up the win following 0.1 innings of work.  

Game #2

The second game of the Saturday doubleheader was a slugfest for both teams. Trailing 1-0 in the first, the Bison jumped in front 3-1 on a base hit to right by Gour which scored sophomores Silliman and Ava Slavinsky, while a Steiniger sac-fly to the same location brought home Gour. However, Wentworth answered back in a big way in the top of the second, scoring four runs to flip the lead in their favor, 5-3.

The score swapped a third time in the home half of the third with the Bison tacking on three more runs. Following back-to-back singles by Felicani and Silliman, Gour scored the lead runner with an RBI double to make it 5-4 Leopards. Directly after, Steiniger sliced a single up the middle to score Silliman, ultimately advancing to second on the throw home to tie the game at five apiece. Fangel returned to the plate to score Steiniger from second with an RBI single, her second of the afternoon, to give the lead back to the Bison at 6-5.

Wentworth was able to even the odds at 6-6 in the top of the fourth, but Steiniger used another two-bagger down the left field line to give Nichols the go-ahead run in the sixth, 7-6. The Lady Tigers battled back, scoring two runs to jump in front 4-3 in the top of the fifth. The battle continued in the sixth inning, as Wentworth flipped the score a fifth time with three runs scored, making it 9-8. To keep the trend going, Nichols snuck back in front with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth, both of which scored of a Steiniger single up the middle to bring the score to 10-9 Bison entering the seventh.

Wentworth tied the game at 9-9 in the seventh, once more forcing a decisive eight inning. The Leopards then notched the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth, marking the seventh lead change in the game.

The Bison went on the walk-off game two, scoring both of the two runs needed on Wentworth fielding errors.

Indyk tossed 1.2 innings as the starter, but was relieved by freshman Cassidy Machado who battled through 2.1 innings. Pedro (6-8) picked up the win after finishing the final four innings, striking out two batters. 

Nichols has one more conference matchup to go in the regular season, which will take place on Sunday, April 28^th at the University of New England (10-24, 5-9 CCC). Game times are slated for Noon and 2:00 PM at Blue Storm Field.