DUDLEY, Mass. (4/4/2024) – Behind two great starts from graduate student Patrick Sawyer and junior John Steed the Nichols College baseball team earned a pair of double header Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) wins over Wentworth on Sunday afternoon from Nichols College Baseball Field. Nichols won the first game 14-4 and the second game 12-2.

Graduate student Will Kleinhenz led the way offensively for the Bison, posting a stat line of 5-8 with four RBI and three doubles, he also scored four runs as well. Senior Ben Jerome tallied a team high five RBI in the pair of games.

Game #1 Nichols 14 Wentworth 4 (8 Innings)

Nichols opened the first game with a four run first inning. Jerome walked and then stole second. Senior Johnny Knox then laid down a bunt single and advanced Jerome to third. Knox then stole second before senior Brennan Hyde walked and then Jerome scored on the pass ball for a 1-0 lead. Kleinhenz then walked to load the bases for the Bison.

Senior Andrew Croteau walked with the bases loaded to score Knox and double the Bison lead. Hyde scored on a pass ball for a 3-0 lead and Nichols scored their fourth run of the inning, ad Kleinhenz scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of sophomore Dylan Moran.

The Leopards answered with a pair of runs in the second inning off of a single. Nichol grabbed a four-run lead once again in the bottom of the second inning. Kleinhenz doubled to right field and scored Jerome and Knox. Nichols led 6-2 after two innings.

The Bison added a run in the third inning, off a bat of Hyde. Jerome hit a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth inning, to add the eighth run and a double off the bat of Knox, led to the ninth run of the game. Sophomore Liam Flynn launched a two-run home run over the left center fence for an 11-2 lead for Nichols, through six innings.

In the eighth inning, Wentworth added two runs in the top of the inning, cutting into the Nichols lead, 11-4. Nichols scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to trigger the CCC 10-run rule, and beat the Leopards 14-4 in game one.

Swayer (3-3) threw 7.0 innings of action, with two strikeouts and allowed four runs on eight hits. Freshman Jaden Mwangi struck out one batter in 1.0 inning of work.

Game #2 Nichols 12 Wentworth 2 (7 Innings)

The second game started in a similar fashion as the first game did. The Bison plated four runs in the second inning to grab a 4-0 lead. Back-to-back singles, allowed for junior William Nath to double into left field, scoring Kleinhenz in then process. Back-to-back hit by pitches scored another run for Nichols. Moran lifted a sac fly and scored Nath. Jerome scored junior Karl Miller on a fielder's choice, for 4-0 lead.

Kleinhenz doubled to left field once again and scored Hyde. Miller then scored Kleinhenz for a 6-0 Bison lead. Wentworth added their lone two runs of the game in the third inning. Kleinehenz singled through the left side and added to the lead. Nichol led 7-2 after three innings.

Jerome then doubled in the seventh inning and scored both Nath and Miller to extend the Nichols lead. Knox followed by the double with a single to scored Jerome, for a 10-2 lead. With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Moran was hit by a pitch and scored Croteau.

Nichols triggered the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Hyde launched a home run to center field for a 12-2 final scored and the second win of the afternoon.

Steed (3-1) threw 6.0 innings, striking out four batters and allowing two runs on three hits, for his third win of the season. Junior Sean Ryan entered in relief and threw 1.0 inning, while striking out one batter.

Nichols (17-8, 4-5 CCC) will welcome in the University of Hartford to Dudley on Tuesday, April 16. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.