WEST HARTFORD (3/4/2026) - The Nichols College baseball team traveled to University Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Wednesday to open play in their 2026 season with a non-conference matchup against the Blue Jays. After a close fight on the USJ Baseball Field, the Bison were handed their first loss of the season, 7-8.

Nichols was able to strike first in the opening inning, following a run-scoring triple from sophomore Ryan Keating. The Bison wouldn't be up for long, as the Blue Jays formed a lead with three runs to end the inning, giving themselves the 3-1 advantage. USJ added to that lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning, when a wild pitch allowed another run to score while moving another runner further into scoring position, before eventually making their way home in a similar fashion to make it 5-1 Blue Jays. 

USJ would then see their largest lead of the game in the fourth inning, with an RBI double to left center plating their sixth run. However, the Bison soon began to chip away at the host lead in the fifth inning, with freshman Charles MacElhiney and sophomore Nicholas Prince kicking things off with individual base hits. The two runners were then brought home with the help of a throwing error by the USJ second baseman, giving Nichols signs of life at 6-3. In the bottom half of the inning, USJ would also capitalize on a throwing error, this time by the Bison outfield with two outs, reinforcing their lead with an eighth run.

The Bison offense broke through again in the sixth inning with a massive three-run homer from MacElhiney, keeping Nichols in the hunt at 8-7. Despite the sixth inning push, the offense would stall out through the remaining two and a half innings, with USJ clinging onto their one-run lead for the win. 

Nichols finished with eight hits in the contest, led by MacElhiney's two-hit performance and three RBI. Keating was also in the mix with an RBI, while Julian Galvan, Adam Pivacek, Collin Harty, Liam Flynn, and Nicholas Prince each added hits in the effort. 

On the mound, Clark Churchill took the loss as the starter for the Bison, tossing 3.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Aidan Whitten provided 2.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts, while Nicholas Willand and Andrew Rocca combined for two scoreless frames to keep the Bison within striking distance late. 

The Nichols College baseball team will return to competition on their Spring Break trip, beginning with their game against Rutgers-Newark on Friday, March 6th at Weequahic Park. Opening Pitch set for 3:00 PM.