DUDLEY, Mass. (4/8/24) – The Nichols College softball team remained perfect in Commonwealth Coast Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Gordon College on Monday evening, winning by dual scores of 1-0 and 3-2 at the Nichols Softball Field.

The Bison are now 9-7 (4-0 CCC) on the season with four consecutive wins, while Gordon drops to 7-15 (2-2 CCC).

Sophomore Ava Slavinsky went 3-for-5 at the plate to bat a team-high .600 on the afternoon. Freshman Kyla Felicani plated two runs while hitting .400 across the two games, while sophomore Allie Silliman played the hero in game two with her first collegiate home run. Junior Chloe Steiniger also delivered an RBI for Nichols, which proved to be the game winner in the opener.

Game #1 Nichols 1 Gordon 0

The Bison tallied the first hit of the game as Slavinsky drove a lead-off single into right field. After moving ahead to second base, Slavinsky was then driven home by Steiniger's RBI double to right field, which give the Herd the early 1-0 edge.

Gordon came knocking in the third inning but were forced to leave the tying run stranded at third after catcher Bailey Littlefield picked off a stolen base attempt at second, retiring the side. For Nichols, the 1-0 lead would stand the remainder of the game, as Gordon mustered just one more hit down the stretch.  

Junior Chelsea Indyk (7-1) twirled both her fifth complete-game and second shutout of the season, limiting Gordon to just two hits through seven innings of work with five strikeouts.

Game #2 Nichols 3 Gordon 2

In the bottom of the second inning, Felicani connected for a sacrifice fly-out to left field, allowing Erin Gour enough time to score from third to give Nichols a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless third inning, Nichols continued to apply pressure in the fourth when Felicani returned to hit a double to deep right-center, bringing Silliman home to further extend their lead to 2-0. 

However, the Fighting Scots would not go so quietly this time around, as they mounted a comeback in the top of the sixth. Following a leadoff single, the Scots brought home their first run of the evening on a well-placed double to the left-center field fence, which cut the Bison lead in half at 2-1. Shortly after, a second run would sneak home to tie the game at 2-2, this time by way of a scoring single through the left side.

Nichols wasted no time in reclaiming the lead in the bottom half of the sixth, as Silliman unloaded her first collegiate homer to left field to make it 3-2 Bison.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Gordon nearly tied the game a second time on a double to right-center field, but fell short as Iannuccilli, Steiniger and Littlefield connected to get the final out at home plate, winning the game for the Bison, 3-2.

Sophomore Olivia Pedro got the nod in the circle for the Bison and pitched 5.1 innings with two runs allowed on four hits, striking out one batter. Freshman Ally McNamee (1-1) entered the game in relief and proceeded to fire the remaining 1.2 innings to pick up her first collegiate win, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

It's a quick turnaround for the Bison as they hit the road for a Tuesday doubleheader at Western New England University (8-7, 1-1 CCC), with game times set for 2:30 and 4:30 PM at Golden Bear Softball Park.