WENHAM, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team capitalized on a three-hit complete game by first-year Brady Boisvert (Plainfield, N.H.) by using a balanced attack in game two as the Bison split a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader with host Wentworth on Sunday afternoon. The Leopards took game one, 7-3, before Nichols rebounded for an 11-2 victory in the nightcap.

In addition to Boisvert's performance on the mound, the Bison received three hits apiece from senior Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) and junior Nick Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.).

Nichols scored five runs in the top of the second inning of the nightcap – all coming with two outs, thanks to two hits, a walk, and four hit batters. Senior John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) had a two-run single, while sophomore Evan Thompson (Longmeadow, Mass.), Gill, and senior Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) were all hit by pitches with the bases loaded to drive in runs.

The Leopards did all their scoring in the third inning, thanks to a two-run double from juniors Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.), which scored senior Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) and freshman Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.).

Nichols added two runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. In the fifth, Shaw had an RBI double and sophomore Mike Cattaruzza (North Branford, Conn.) had an RBI single. Gill scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, followed by an RBI single form senior Anthony Benvenuti (North Haven, Conn.), while Gill would score when Bruno reached on an error and Bruno would score on an RBI single from sophomore Brett Franciosi (Leominster, Mass.) in the seventh.

Boisvert allowed two runs, walked four, and struck out three to improve to 2-0 on the season. Micciche (two hits, two RBI), freshman Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) (two hits), and Benvenuti (two hits) helped Gill and Shaw pace a 14-hit attack.

Freshman Paul Vergara (Needham, Mass.) fell to 2-2 on the season, allowing nine runs on 12 hits, walking three and striking out three in 5.2 innings of work. Senior Ryan DeCotis (Nashua, N.H.) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over the final 1.1 innings. Dennehy had two of Wentworth's three hits.

In game one, sophomore Ben Lewis (Middletown, R.I.) improved to 4-0 on the year with a complete game six-hitter in the 7-3 victory for Wentworth.

The Leopards scored three times in the opening frame of the first game, thanks to a three-run double off the bat of sophomore Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.), which scored Spitz and junior Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.) and sophomore Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.). Wentworth increased its lead to 4-0 in the third when sophomore Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) scored Hulme with a sacrifice fly.

Nichols cut the lead in half with a two-run fourth as senior Kyle Russell (West Yarmouth, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Micciche to score, and Shaw delivered an RBI single, which plated Nicolace. The Bison had a chance to score a third run, but Russell was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice by Benvenuti.

Wentworth added a single run in the fourth when freshman J.P. Dennehy (Danbury, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice, allowing McManus, who had opened the ining by reaching on an error, to score.

In the fifth inning the Bison made it a 5-3 game on an RBI single from Nicolace before the Leopards took advantage of three Nichols errors in the bottom of the inning and scored twice. Matera and Hulme scored after both had reached on singles.

Lewis allowed three unearned runs, did not walk a batter, and struck out five batters in the win. Hulme had two of Wentworth's six hits and Mailman drove in three runs.

Freshman Ryan McLane (Wallingford, Conn.) took the loss (1-2), allowing seven runs (three earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out three in five innings. Senior Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) pitched a scoreless sixth. Micciche and Shaw had two hits apiece.

Wentworth stands at 10-9 overall and 2-6 in CCC play. The Leopards are at Mass. Maritime on Thursday. Nichols, which snapped a seven-game losing skid with the game two win, stands at 4-16 (1-5). The Bison host Elms on Tuesday.

Courtesy Wentworth Sports Information