WORCESTER, Mass. – Freshman Spencer Madden (Nashua, N.H.) drove in three runs and tallied five hits – including a homerun – as the Nichols College baseball team dropped both games in a doubleheader with Worcester State in non-conference action at the Lyons Diamond.
The Bison fall to 1-6 on the season after losing Game 1 against the Lancers 11-2 before giving up four sixth inning runs in Game 2 to fall 4-3.
Game 1: Worcester St. 11, Nichols 2
The Lancers (10-9) came out slugging in Game 1 of the doubleheader, coming away 11 runs on 13 hits. Sophomore outfielder Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, Mass.) went 4-for-4 with three runs while senior David Ruggiero (Peabody, Mass.) drove in four runs to lead Worcester St.
Nichols saw three student-athletes with a pair of hits including Madden and freshmen Greg Eng (Middletown, R.I.) and Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.). Freshman Zach Morgillo(Hamden, Conn.) falls to 0-2 on the year after six innings of work and allowing 11 runs (seven earned) on 12 hits and two walks. Freshman Nick Limoges (Easthampton, Mass.)came on in relief to pitch the seventh. He allowed no runs on one hit and walked one while striking out one.
Senior Jared Kuzio (Franklin, Mass.) pitched the entire game for the Lancers allowing just two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three.
Worcester State opened the contest with the early 5-0 lead after two innings of play. Ruggiero and senior Cody Osburn (Sacramento, Calif.) drove in scores in the top of the first before sophomore Dan McGuill (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and senior Zach George (Attleboro, Mass.) plated runs in the second inning.
The Lancers increased their margin with a three-run fourth, highlighted by a two-run double by Ryan, taking advantage of a pair of miscues.
Nichols broke up the shutout in the bottom of the fourth when Madden had an RBI single to bring sophomore Mike Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.) home from third.
WSU put the contest away with a trio of runs in the sixth for the 11-1 score. Following an RBI ground-out by sophomore Adam Barry (Auburn, Mass.), Ruggiero smacked a run producing single and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
Game 2: Worcester St. 4, Nichols 3
The Bison jumped out to a 2-0 lead before allowing four runs in the sixth inning to fall to the Lancers in Game 2 of the doubleheader 4-3.
Madden cranked a solo shot down the left field line in the bottom of the first for his first collegiate homerun to give the Bison the lead 1-0. It was Madden again in the bottom of the fourth driving in freshman Nick Osma (Babylon, N.Y.) on a single through the left side to give the Bison a 2-0 lead.
Freshman Vincent Amato (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pitched five innings of shutout baseball before allowing four runs in the top half of the sixth inning. Ryan singled to start the inning while Ruggiero walked two batters later. Following a wild-pitch to advance Ryan to third and Ruggiero to second, Osburn doubled to center field, driving in both runners and tying the game at two.
Amato dug deep and struck out senior Jeff Bolio (Oxford, Mass.) to reach two outs in the inning, however junior John Boyd (Worcester, Mass.) singled next and then a double by Brian Bonacquisti (Pittsfield, Mass.) drove in both Osburn and Boyd to give the Lancers a 4-2 lead.
The Bison attempted to rally in the bottom of the seventh. A two-out single up the middle by Roy followed by a single to center by sophomore Matt Hardy (North Attleboro, Mass.)had the Bison with runners at the corners. Hardy advanced to second on a throwing error on the pickoff attempt by senior Joe Perlak (Chicopee, Mass.) which allowed Roy to scamper home to make it a one run game.
Perlak fanned the final batter of the game to seal the win for the Lancers.
Amato falls to 0-2 on the year after pitching 5.2 innings allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out one. Junior Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) pitched 1.1 innings of shutout-ball in relief while walking three and fanning one.
Perlak improves to 2-1 after pitching the complete game and allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and four strikeouts while walking none.
The Bison travel to take on Rhode Island College on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The Lancers play at Brandeis tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.