DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team suffered a 15-2 setback to Elms in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday afternoon at the Nichols Baseball Field. With the win, the Blazers evened out at 9-9 on the season while the Bison slipped to 4-17.

Senior Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) batted 2-for-3 on the day and threw a scoreless one and two-thirds innings for the Bison while first-year Benjamin Harrow (North Reading, Mass.) and junior Shayne McNally (Auburn, Mass.) each drove in a pair of runs for the hosts. Senior Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) allowed four runs – zero earned – on four hits in the first three frames. Sophomore Chris Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.), first-year Ryan Pichel (Littleton, Mass.), and senior Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) also saw at least an inning of relief work for Nichols.

First-year Dan McCormack (Shelton, Conn.) had a game-high four hits to go with a quartet of RBI to lead the Blazers at the plate with a 4-for-6 afternoon. Sophomore Geoffrey Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) and rookie Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.) collected three hits apiece and combined for five RBI and three runs scored. Junior Sam Farnsworth (Westfield, Mass.) and sophomore Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) teamed to go 4-for-5 with five runs scored at the designated hitter spot in the lineup. Freshman Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) crossed home plate three times while sophomore Kevin Dwire (Ellington, Conn.) recorded two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Sophomore Sean Sinnott (Granby, Conn.) scattered three hits over six scoreless innings as he improved to 3-2 on the season. Junior Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.) earned the first save of the season for the Blazers as he turned in a three-inning effort allowing two runs on five hits as the duo finished the day with 12 strikeouts.

Elms scored all the runs it needed in the second inning. The first two Blazers crossed the plate on an infield miscue off the bat of freshman Brian Langdon (Beacon Falls, Conn.). McCormack then used a two-out two-RBI single to left as two more runners scored for the early 4-0 advantage.

The guests added to their lead when Wadja doubled to center field in the fourth before lifting a sacrifice fly to center to help plate another run in the fifth. McCormack then singled to center and senior Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) was hit by a pitch as both were credited with an RBI to make it an 8-0 ballgame. In the top of the seventh, Frost delivered an RBI single to left and Dwire pitched in with a sacrifice fly as Elms extended its lead to 10-0.

Nichols lit up the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth to break up the shutout.  First-year Kevin Cotton (Westminster, Mass.) scampered home when Harrow connected on a two-out laser back to the pitcher. McNally followed up with a run-producing double to center before the rally was halted by a swinging strikeout.

Elms grabbed three more runs before heading home for the night as Dwire utilized another sacrifice fly and Wadja and McCormack finished their day with RBI hits to the left and center, respectively.

Both clubs are on the road for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game on Thursday as the Bison head to Worcester State and Elms travels to Fitchburg State.