SMITHFIELD, R.I. (3/1/2025) – The Nichols College baseball team opened the 2025 season with a 13-6 win over Gordon College in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon from Conaty Park at Bryant University. The game was called after seven innings due to darkness.

Seniors Ben Jerome and Andrew Croteau each tallied two hits and Jerome also plated a team-best two RBI in the win for Nichols. Seven total batters recorded a hit, including freshman Ryan Keating who recorded his first collegiate hit in his debut.

Sophomore Allen Hinckley earned the start going 2.2 innings with four strikeouts. Freshman Nicholas Willand went 1.2 in his first collegiate game while striking out one batter. Senior Patrick Doyle threw 1.1 innings to seal the deal for the Bison. Senior John Steed earned his first win of the season after throwing 1.0 innings of work.

The Fighting Scots opened the scoring with back-to-back hits at the top of the first and took a 2-0 lead after the first half-inning of action. In the bottom half of the inning, Jerome reached on a single, then reached second on a throwing error, and later scored on a passed ball to make it 2-1. Keating scored after Croteau doubled down the right-field line to even the score at 2-2 after one inning.

Nichols blew the game wide open with a six-run third inning. Jerome reached base for the second time, after being hit by a pitch. Keating plated Jerome with an infield single to give Nichols the lead, 3-2. Two more walks loaded the Bison and junior Jacob Tipton drew a walk for another Bison run. A pitch then hit freshman Sean McGee to score another run to make it 5-2. A single from sophomore Anthony Hackert plated senior Karl Miller.

Jerome then added two more runs after a single up the middle and Nichols led 8-2 after three innings.

A four-run top of the fourth inning, cut into the Bison lead 8-6 before Miller scored junior Liam Flynn in the bottom half. A four-run fifth inning for Nichols sealed the deal 13-6 for the Bison. Hackert, Jerome, and Croteau all scored on different pass balls to give Nichols the lead.

Nichols (1-0) return to action on Monday afternoon when they head to West Hartford, Conn. to face off against the University of St. Joseph. The first pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. as the Blue Jays and Bison will play for the MS4MS game.