WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (3/26/24) – Senior Johnny Knox converted a perfect sacrifice bunt in the top of the 10th inning, scoring senior Ben Jerome in the process as the Nichols College baseball team topped the University of Hartford in 10 innings on Tuesday afternoon from Fiondella Field. The Bison won 2-1 over the Hawks in the teams first meeting.

Sophomore Aidan Whitten threw 5.0 solid innings for the Bison, striking out five batters and allowing three hits. Junior Clark Churchill (4-1) entered in relief, throwing 5.0 scoreless innings to secure his fourth win of the season, including get out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the 10th.

In pitching duel that saw a total of three runs scored and one earned run total, the Nichols and Hartford offenses were held in check for the majority of the game. The Hawks opened the scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning, with an error on a throw from the Bison that led Hartford scoring and take a 1-0 lead.

Nichols struggled to find any momentum for the game, until the ninth inning. Knox led the inning off the Bison with a walk and then stole second base. Graduate student Will Kleinhenz walked to place runners on first and second with two outs.

Nichols came down to their final strike before junior Karl Miller ripped a single through the right side and scored Knox in the process to even the score at 1-1 with two outs in the ninth. This game needed extra innings to settle the score.

In the top of the 10^th inning, Jerome was hit by a pitch to place the lead run on first base. Sophomore Dylan Moran reached first base on a throwing error, while he tried to lay a bunt down. Nichols had runners on first and third with no one out. Knox then batted and laid a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line and scored Jerome to give Nichols the 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 10^th, Nichols saw a single and double with one out, to place the game winning run on second base. After an intentional walk to load the bases and allow for the Nichols to have a force play at every base. Churchill forced the batter to ground a ball up the middle, that Knox grabbed the ground ball and stepped on second base before delivering a strike to Moran on first base for a game ending double play, to help Nichols hang on for a 2-1 win.

Nichols (10-5, 0-2 CCC) jumped back in the win column and will look to continue the positive stretch with a game on Friday, March 29, from the Nichols College Baseball Field against UMaine-Farmington. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.