FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Nichols College baseball team was swept by Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 7-0 and 11-2, in a non-conference doubleheader as the Bison opened the 2013 campaign at the Player Development Complex as part of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Saturday.
In the eye-opener, a trio of Bison pitchers, sophomore Collin Geagan (Watertown, Mass.), classmate Chris Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.) and first-year Ryan McLane (Wallingford, Conn.) combined to strike out 12 batters. Geagan punched out a career-high six batsmen while McLane recorded a four-strikeout inning to go along with a pair of punch outs from Johnson. Junior Nick Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.) used a two-out knock to center field for the first Bison hit of the contest in the fifth inning and senior Kyle Russell (W. Yarmouth, Mass.)led off the sixth with a hit to left field.
Wisconsin-Oshkosh jumped on the board with two runs in the first courtesy of a RBI triple by Michael Polcyn (Ripon, Wis.) and a run-producing single by sophomore Zack Whalen (Janesville, Wis.) on back-to-back plate appearances. The Titans added another pair of scores in the third as junior Zac Peterson (Suamico, Wis.) doubled to left for an RBI and later scored following an infield miscue. RBI singles by senior Bobby Kachel (La Crosse, Wis.) and freshman Tyler Kozlowski (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) in the fifth and a wild pitch in the sixth helped the Titans to the 7-0 victory.
Geagan surrendered four runs – three earned – on seven hits over the first four innings as he slipped to 0-1. Johnson allowed a pair of runs as McLane did not yield an earned run in his collegiate debut. Sophomore Michael Swift (Kenosha, Wis.) tossed the two-hitter for the Titans as he began the season 1-0.
Both teams pushed a runner across in the first inning of the second contest. Polcyn picked up another RBI on a single to left before Nichols senior captain Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) scored on a throwing miscue to even the game. Wisconsin-Oshkosh took the lead for good with a four-run outburst in the second stanza highlighted by a 2-RBI triple off the bat of senior Tyler Kamps (Appleton, Wis.).
Titan senior Doug Beattie (Enscanaba, Mich.) helped send a Titan runner home on an RBI single to centerfield in the top of the third. The Bison responded as senior John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) doubled to bring in senior Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) who was hit by a pitch to leadoff the frame. Following a scoreless fourth, Wisconsin-Oshkosh tacked on a trio of runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth for the 11-2 final.
Junior Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) allowed six runs – four earned – on nine hits with a strikeout in three innings as he was tagged with the setback (0-1). Senior Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) posted five runs – two earned – on five hits to go along with a strikeout. First-year Ryan Pichel (Littleton, Mass.) tossed a scoreless seventh inning in his first appearance for the Bison. Senior Matt Wells (Little Chute, Wis.) surrendered both runs – one earned - on three hits in two and one-third innings. Junior Travis Sindles (Twin Lakes, Wis.) picked up the victory (1-0) as he pitched a scoreless four and two-thirds with one hit and seven strikeouts for the Titans.
Nichols returns to the Player Development Complex tomorrow to play Southern Vermont in a doubleheader on field three at 10:00 a.m. Wisconsin-Oshkosh takes on St. Joseph's (L.I.) at 10:00 a.m. and Utica at 1:00 p.m. at Player Development Complex field one.