DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team fell to Western New England 7-0 and 11-4 in a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader on Saturday at the Nichols Baseball Field. With the results, the Golden Bears, currently ranked eighth in the region by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association, improve to 13-5 overall and 4-0 in the CCC while the Bison slip to 3-15 on the season and 0-4 in league play.

First-year Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) and senior Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) each went 2-for-5 on the day while senior Kyle Russell (W. Yarmouth, Mass.) batted 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in the second game. Bruno also had the only extra base hit for the Bison to go along with a pair of RBI.

For Western New England, senior Matt Anthonis (Guilford, Conn.) batted .625 (5-for-8) with three RBI and three runs scored as classmate Mike Rubino (Northford, Conn.) and junior Steve Ambrosino (Laurel Hollow, N.Y.) each went 3-for-6 and combined for seven RBI and six runs scored. Junior Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) recorded three hits while three others collected a pair each. Anthonis and freshman Tim Budd (Cheshire, Conn.) led the way in game two with a .750 batting average (3-for-4) while Budd also had three RBI and three runs.

Game one saw Western New England sophomore Trevor Breton (Enfield, Conn.) hurl an 86-pitch no hitter with nine strikeouts as he moved to 2-1 on the season. Nichols junior Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) surrendered seven runs – six earned – on 12 hits while striking out three his 11th career complete game. 

The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Rubino. After two more scoreless frames, Western New England tacked on three more with a two-RBI single by Taylor Perun (Plainville, Conn.) and a ball put into play for a fielder's choice by Ambrosino. The visitors sent three more runners across home plate in the seventh courtesy of run-producing doubles by Anthonis, sophomore Steve Buckley (Monroe, Conn.) and Ambrosino.

In the nightcap, the visitors picked up three runs in the top of the second. Budd drilled a single to left center to plate a pair of runners before scoring on an RBI single up the middle by Anthonis. The Golden Bears added to their lead in the top of the fourth as Anthonis used another single up the middle to deliver another run. Senior Kyle McKevley (Schenectady, N.Y.) sent a sacrifice bunt to short and Budd doubled to right as Western New England claimed a 6-0 advantage in the middle of the fifth.

Nichols finally broke through as Nicolace singled down the right field line for the first Bison safety of the afternoon. Three batters later, Bruno delivered a double to left to score the leadoff man. The hosts picked up another tally as rookie Brady Boisvert (Plainfield, N.H.) singled to short.

Rubino used another sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth before back-to-back RBI singles in the home half of the frame by Bruno and junior Nick Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.). Western New England then added four insurance markers with run-producing doubles by Schult and Rubino in the top of the seventh for the 11-4 final.

Western New England freshman Tom Mahoney (Granville, Mass.) allowed two runs on six hits and fanned four batters over four and two-thirds innings. Sophomore Jason Haddy (Oakland, N.J.) and sophomore Nick Salerno (Essex Junction, Vt.) made relief appearances for the guests. Sophomore Collin Geagan (Watertown, Mass.) absorbed the defeat as he gave up four runs – three earned – on seven hits in four innings. Senior James Curto (Braintree, Mass.) surrendered two earned runs on six hits in the final two innings for the Bison.

Nichols is back on the diamond tomorrow when the team heads to Gordon for a 1:00 p.m. CCC twinbill against Wentworth while Western New England ventures to Endicott for a noon doubleheader.