BEVERLY, Mass. (5/11/2025) - Senior Nolan Sullivan threw 5.0 shut-out innings of relief, and the Nichols College Baseball team earned a walk-off single from freshman Collin Harty, as they topped the No. 6 seeded Hawks of Roger Williams in 10 innings on Saturday night from North Field in the Conference of New England Semifinal. The Bison take on top seeded Endicott College in the CNE Championship. 

Junior Julian Galvan led all hitters, going 4-5 on the afternoon, teammate Liam Flynn recorded 4 RBI with his grand slam home run in the third inning. 

The Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top half of the second inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly and an RBI double to right field. The Bison answered the call, thanks to a Flynn grand slam after the Bison loaded the bases in the bottom of the second. Flynn hit his second home run of the tournament and second at North Field.

In the fourth inning, Roger Williams pulled level with a two RBI double into right center field and regained the lead after a solo home run into left field, making it 5-4. The Hawks stretched their lead to 8-4 in the game, when they scored two runs on a throwing error and then a single up the middle made it 8-4 Roger Williams after six innings of work.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Adam Pivacek double down the right field line, scoring Flynn and Harty, as the Bison once again cut into the Hawks lead, 8-6. Sophomore Anthony Hackert lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring senior Karl Miller, and the Bison trailed 8-7 after seven innings.

The Hawks offense slowed and the Bison offense continued to pickup pace when they tied the game, on a bases loaded double play ball, scoring freshman Ryan Keating, and the game was knotted up at 8-8.

Neither team scored in the ninth and the game called for extra innings in a winner take all game. In the top of the tenth, Roger Williams, saw one runner reach on a walk, but that was the only runner they could muster in the inning.

In the bottom half, the Bison continued to deliver.  Keating walked to open the inning and Galvan laid down one of his three infield single bunts to place runners on first and second with no one out. Senior Ben Jerome then laid down a bunt as well and all runners were safe on the fielder's choice.

Harty then worked a full count, before lining a single up the middle with the infield in, to secure the 9-8 walk-off win and advance to the Conference Title Game.

Sullivan (1-0) was the star of the show for the Bison on the mound. He entered in the fifth inning and threw five shutout innings of no-hit baseball while fanning a game-high eight batters to secure the win and swing the tides.

Nichols (26-17, 11-5 CNE) advance to their first Conference Championship game, with first pitch set for 11:00 a.m., inmwhich the Bison need to win two games in a row to capture the Conference Crown.