PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 21, 2026) – The Nichols College baseball team fell 9-4 to Johnson & Wales University in Conference of New England action Tuesday afternoon at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex. After going back and forth early in the game, the Wildcats pulled ahead and never looked back.
 
Nichols moves to 15-15 overall (6-7 CNE), while JWU improves to 11-20 (4-9 CNE).
 
The Bison struck first in the opening inning when Ryan Keating ripped an RBI double to left-center, scoring Anthony Hackert to give Nichols an early 1-0 lead. The Wildcats quickly responded with a three-run bottom half, capitalizing on the moment to take control at 3-1.
 
Nichols battled back in the third inning, tying the game at 3-3. Brady Wendell lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Kyle Birks before Keating came around to score on a JWU fielding error. However, JWU regained the lead in the bottom of the third and added two more runs in the fourth to stretch the advantage to 6-3.
 
Keating continued his standout performance in the fifth inning, launching a solo home run to cut the deficit to 6-4. The junior outfielder finished 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored to lead the Nichols offense.
 
The Wildcats broke the game open in the sixth inning, plating three runs on a bases-clearing double by Jack Dwyer to extend the lead to 9-4. Nichols was unable to respond, as JWU reliever Michael Cobb shut the door with three scoreless innings, striking out five. Anthony Hackert added a pair of hits and a stolen base for the Bison, while the team was limited to five hits overall.
 
On the mound, Andrew Rocca took the loss after four innings of work. Mitch Brown and Abe Anderson combined to cover the final four innings in relief.
 
Nichols will look to bounce back tomorrow when they travel to Keene State College for a non-conference game against the Owls. First pitch is set for 3 PM.