DUDLEY, Mass. (3/31/2025) – The Bison Softball team opened their conference slate in commanding fashion, splitting with 2024 conference champion Western New England University. WNE took game one by a score of 7-3, before Nichols won game two in extra innings, 5-4.
With the series split, the Bison now stand at 12-4 (1-1 CNE) on the season.
Game 1: Nichols 3, Western New England 7
Game one opened with a pitching battle between Bison senior
Chelsea Indyk, the reigning CNE Pitcher of the Week, and WNE senior Ava Blanchard. The two pitchers held the game scoreless through two innings of play.
In the third inning, WNE opened the game's scoring with a double down the left-field line. The Bison answered back in the fourth, scoring three runs.
Junior
Allie Silliman led off with a double to right-center, earning her 100th career hit in her first at-bat of the day. The following batter, senior
Erin Gour, hit the Bison's first home run of the season, sending Silliman home.
The rest of the game's scoring came from the Golden Bears, who added six unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the victory.
Silliman, with her 100th career hit, led the Bison, going 3-for-3 with one RBI, including a double. Gour also had a strong game, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a double, and a home run.
In the circle for Nichols, Indyk pitched a complete game for the Bison, allowing seven earned runs and striking out five Golden Bear batters.
Game 2: Nichols 5, Western New England 4
The second game of the day was a scoreless affair through seven innings, thanks to strong pitching from Golden Bears' starter Riley Kane and Bison freshman
Molly Medor. Medor struck out three batters and did not allow any walks over 7.2 innings.
After seven innings, the 8th inning began with a Golden Bear placed on second base. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from the first batter, before the Golden Bears broke out with two doubles and a home run to take a commanding 4-0 lead. That four-run, three-hit performance left the Bison with a tall task and just half an inning to respond.
The Bison were up to the challenge. A single from pinch hitter sophomore
Hannah Cozza sent senior
Chloe Steiniger, the Bison player placed on second, to score, cutting the lead to three.
Bailey Littlefield then stepped up to the plate and was walked, putting runners on first and second base. The next batter, pinch hitter freshman
Alyssa Pericello, reached base due to a Golden Bears' fielder's choice, putting Cozza out at third.
With home plate within reach, leadoff hitter
Ava Slavinsky singled to right field, allowing both Pericello and Littlefield to score. The runners then advanced to second and third base due to fielding errors by the Golden Bears.
Riley Chartier followed with another Bison hit, bringing Slavinsky home and tying the game at 4-4.
A decisive 9th inning was needed between the Bison and Golden Bears. Relief pitcher sophomore
Ally McNamee came in to relieve Medor in the top of the eighth and was perfect in the ninth, allowing no hits over 1.1 innings pitched.
McNamee's perfect relief performance set the stage for the Bison to secure the win. Pinch runner freshman
Sarah Dupre was placed on second, and senior
Chloe Steiniger was at the plate. Steiniger ended the game with a storybook moment, singling to right field for an RBI hit, sending Dupre home. Not only was it the game-winner, but it was also the 100th career hit for Steiniger.
The Bison's next game is a doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut State University on Thursday. The first pitch for that series is set for 3 p.m. in Willimantic, CT.
