FRANKLIN, Mass. (4/1/24) – The Nichols College baseball team exploded for 27 runs, behind a 5-6 afternoon from graduate student Will Klienhenz, as the Bison topped Dean College on Monday afternoon from Longley Athletic Complex. Nichols won 27-0, the game was called due to darkness after 8 innings.
Kleinhenz led the Bison offense with six RBI on the day, batting 5-6 with three doubles and a home run. Senior Johnny Knox continued his hot streak and hit his seventh and eighth home runs of the season, with 5 RBI. Classmate Ben Jerome also added three RBI with a 3-4 hitting day.
Senior Brenna Hyde earned his 100th RBI of his career with a single through the left side in the second inning. He finished the day with three RBI.
The 27 Nichols runs is the third most runs scored by the Bison since 1999 and is the first time Nichols has scored that many runs in that time frame. The 27 is the most runs scored since 2016, when Nichols scored 28 against Lasell on March 15.
Nichols scored early and often in the game. Jerome was the first Bison to reach base and he did so with a walk in the first inning. He then stole second base, before scoring on a single off the bat of Kleinhenz. Nichols led 1-0 after the first inning.
The Bison blew the game wide open in the second inning when they plated seven runs. After two singles and a walk to load the bases, Jerome dropped a hit inside the right field line and reached third base with a three RBI base clearing triple. Hyde then singled in Jerome and Hyde stole second. Kleinhenz proceeded to double to left center and score Hyde. After Nichols scored on an error, junior William Nath scored senior Andrew Croteau wit a sac fly, making it 8-0 Nichols.
Nichols scored two more runs, off the bat of Klienhenz, with a two-run shot to left field. Kleinhenz continued his great day with his second double of the afternoon in the fifth inning, scoring Jerome in the process. Miller then reached on an error and scored Hyde. Nichols led 12-0.
Knox wanted in on the action and belted his seventh home run of the season over the left field wall, scoring freshman Charlie Tarara in the process. In the following inning Knox hit a three-run home run after Tarara singled in senior Kelvin Gutierrez. Nichols led 18-0.
Kleinhenz hit his third double of the game and scored Hyde and junior Stanley Cipkas. Gutierrez in his next at-bat reached on a fielder's choice but scored Hyde for a 20-0 lead. Sophomore Kyle Birks, then pinch hit and reached on an error and scored Kleinhenz.
Junior Taj Vera Cruz reached on an error in the eighth inning and Cipkas doubled in the next at-bat to put runners on second and third with one out. Hyde singled to center field, clearing the bases for a 23-0 lead. Junior Luis Vargas singled through the left side as well as Croteau, Gutierrez, and Birks, scoring two more runs. Freshman Anthony Hackert pinch hit and hit a sac fly to right field, scoring Croteau. Tarara then doubled to left field and scored Gutierrez. Nichols led 27-0.
Sophomore Aidan Whitten (2-0) earned his second win of the season, throwing 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and striking out five batters. Freshman Allen Hinckley threw 2.0 innings of relief, allowing a hit and striking out one. Freshman Jaden Mwangi and junior Salvatore D'Anna each earned an inning, both pitchers struck out two batters.
For Knox, he climbs into third place all-time for home runs in a season with his seventh and eighth home runs of the season, tying himself with teammates Hyde and graduate student Jim Marasco, who both hit eight last year.
Kleinhenz ties the program record with his three doubles today. Most recently, DJ Caron hit three against Clark (MA) on April 21, 2022. Kleinhenz becomes the sixth batters to accomplish this for Bison Baseball.
Nichols (13-5) hit the road tomorrow, April 2, against Brandeis University. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. from Waltham, Mass.