DUDLEY, Mass. (3/22/2025) – As they opened their 2025 home schedule, the Nichols Softball team secured two wins over the visiting Mitchell College Mariners in non-conference action on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Dudley. With the victories, the Bison continue their fantastic 10-2 (0-0 CNE) start to the season and extend their winning streak to eight games.
Game One: Nichols 3, Mitchell 0
Nichols came out ready on their home field, with lead-off hitter junior Ava Slavinsky scoring the game-opening run in the first inning thanks to a Mariners' fielding error on freshman Sarah Dupre's at-bat.
The only other runs of game one came in the third inning, when freshman Alyssa Pericello hit her third double of the season down the right field line, allowing her teammates senior Erin Gour and junior Allie Silliman to complete their trip around the bases and put the Bison up 3-0.
Strong defense and pitching on both sides kept the score at 3-0 for the remainder of the game.
In the circle for the Bison, senior Chelsea Indyk (6-1) earned the win, posting a season-best 11 strikeouts with zero walks. This was her second shutout of the season and the seventh of her career as a Bison.
Game 2: Nichols 14, Mitchell 7
In game two, the Mariners jumped out to an early lead, scoring six runs in the first inning on three hits, including a three-run home run, to take a 6-0 advantage over the Bison.
The Bison didn't allow that lead to last long, as they answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Among those runs were the first two RBI of the day from designated player sophomore Sydney Manzione, who posted a season-best 5 RBI in the game for the home team. Nichols continued their offensive push with a 4-run burst in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-6 lead. Senior Chloe Steiniger, who had two hits and led the Bison with two doubles, was the first to score in the fourth inning.
Nichols' offense never let up, as they stampeded to victory with a six-run sixth inning, leaving Mitchell no chance to mount a comeback, despite a run of their own that cut the Bison lead to one in the top of the sixth. Strong hitting throughout the lineup pushed the Bison to a total of 16 hits. The Bison's 14 runs scored was a season-high, as was their 14 RBI in game two. Ava Slavinsky led the Bison with three hits.
In the circle, freshman Molly Medor started the game but was relieved in the first inning by Ally McNamee, who earned the win, improving her record to 2-0, while Chelsea Indyk closed out the game with a save.
On Wednesday, the Bison head on the road for a non-conference doubleheader against Wellesley College. Those games are set for 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Wellesley, Mass.
