NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Nichols College topped Lesley University in both ends of a non-conference doubleheader this evening at the New England Baseball Complex. The pair of wins pushes the Bison to an even 8-8 record while the Lynx slip to 6-10 with the setbacks.
Lesley will look to get back in the win column on Thursday when they travel back to Northborough, Mass. for a non-conference matchup with Rivier University at 7:00p. Nichols will return to the diamond on Saturday and play host to Colby-Sawyer College in a doubleheader starting at 1:00p.
Game One: Nichols 3, Lesley 1
Box Score
Lesley senior Koby Mitchell (Fall River, Mass.) was strong in his first start of the season, going the distance while allowing seven hits and three runs – all unearned – and striking out three. The Bison took advantage of a trio of Lynx errors that all turned into runs.
Nichols senior Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) got the starting nod for the Bison and improved to 3-1 on the year with the win. The southpaw tossed all seven innings, racking up eight strikeouts and allowing just one run on four hits.
The Bison opened the scoring in the third inning. After a one-out triple by sophomore Brendan Martin (Nashua, N.H.), freshman Joe Assenza (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) would reach on a fielder's choice while a throwing error in the Lynx infield allowed Martin to cross the plate to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Assenza doubled the Bison advantage with an RBI single to left field that brought in sophomore Greg Eng (Middletown, R.I.), who kicked off the inning with a single before moving into scoring position on a passed ball. Assenza found himself involved in manufacturing runs once again in the seventh as he placed a perfect bunt on a safety-squeeze play with one out in the top of the seventh to boost Nichols' advantage to 3-0.
The Lynx would not go down easy in the bottom of the seventh, as junior Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) and senior Casey Blanchard (Bernardston, Mass.) both reached and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Junior J.P. Agiorgousis (Hanscom, Mass.) would keep the rally going with a two-out RBI single to right before Nicolace forced a ground out to end the game.
Game Two: Nichols 7, Lesley 4
Box Score
The Bison wasted little time getting their offense in gear in game two, posting three runs on four hits and two Lynx errors in the top of the first inning.
Lesley would answer back in the bottom half of the inning as Agiorgousis led off with a triple to right-center before freshman Nicholas Ferragine (Randolph, N.J.) followed with an RBI double down the right field line. Fellow freshman Matthew Bavaro (Sayville, N.Y.) moved Ferragine over to third with an up-the-middle single and then swiped second that brought his classmate in on the throw down to second.
Nichols pushed their lead back to two runs in the second as Assenza led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice-fly by junior Matt Hardy (North Attleboro, Mass.). Assenza would ignite the offense once again in the fourth as he reached on a walk and scored from first on a double to left by sophomore Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.). The Bison would add one more in the inning to stake a 6-3 lead.
Lesley would cut into the deficit again in the bottom of the inning when freshman Leo Diguilio (Bradley Beach, N.J.) knocked in Slaby with a ground out.
After the Bison would add one more run in the top of the seventh, the Lynx attempted to rally in the last half as Bavaro and freshmen Ryan Anderson (Cumberland, Maine) both reached with one-out singles. Freshman Daniel O'Donnell Jr. (Clark, N.J.) would single home Bavaro before Bison sophomore Kevin Kirley (Clinton, Mass.) ended the game with a strikeout as the Lynx had the tying run at the plate.
Nichols junior Adam Rigney (Niantic, Conn.) earned the win for the visitors, going five strong innings allowing three runs (two earned), on five hits and striking out nine. Freshman Jack Snyder (Shrewsbury, Mass.) suffered the loss for the Lynx.