FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Nichols College baseball team suffered a 9-3 setback to Otterbein on Tuesday at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in a nine-inning non-conference contest.
After the Bison (1-5) spotted the Cardinals (8-1) four runs in the top of the first, senior Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) responded with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame. Otterbein added another tally in the third on a run-producing single to the outfield off the bat of junior Tyler Rose (East Greenbush, N.Y.).
Nichols had a great chance to push a runner home in the fifth but the frame ended as the Otterbein third baseman cutoff a throw from the left fielder and gunned down first-year Tim McHugh (Gardner, Mass.) at the dish.
The Cardinals posted another four-run frame in the top of the seventh highlighted by a two-out RBI triple by sophomore Nich Pitzer (Centerburg, Ohio). Nichols senior John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) helped the Bison take two runs back as he drove the ball through the left side of the diamond.
Micciche finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI to lead the Bison while four Cardinals recorded a pair of hits in the contest.
Rookie pitcher Ryan McLane (Wallingford, Conn.) surrendered nine runs – eight earned – on 10 hits over six and two-thirds innings and struck out a pair of batters. Senior Chris Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.) did not yield a run on four hits in two and a third innings for the Bison.
Otterbein sophomore Taylor Ellis (Bucyrus, Ohio) did not allow an earned run on two hits in five innings to go along with a trio of strikeouts. Junior Jon Cheyney (Massillon) was touched up for two runs on two hits in one and a third. Cheyney, junior Alex Lake (Nashport, Ohio) and freshman Ben Hamilton (Richwood, Ohio) combined to set down five batters via the strikeout.
Nichols heads to Terry Park tomorrow for a pair of nine-inning games. The Bison first face Johns Hopkins at 10:00 a.m. and then Knox at 1:00 p.m. Otterbein remained at the Player Development Complex to finish its game with Lasell that was suspended due to the weather yesterday.