DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team ended its 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference slate with a 6-3 and 3-1 setback to visiting Roger Williams on a sun-soaked Saturday afternoon at the Nichols Baseball Field.
In game one, Junior Trevor Larson (Northbridge, Mass.) swiped home as part of a double steal to put the Hawks up 1-0 in the top of the first. An inning later, a pair of miscues allowed junior Mike Thomas (Plainville, Conn.) and freshman Kevin Baker (Wilbraham, Mass.) to touch home plate for the 3-0 advantage.
The Hawks pushed two more runners across home plate in the third as sophomore Matt Jefferis (Cheshire, Conn.) took advantage of another Bison miscue and Thomas stole home. Nichols broke through in the home half of the frame as senior Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
Baker used a run-producing single to center field as the Hawks tacked on another tally in the fifth. Senior Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) connected on an RBI single to center and classmate Anthony Benvenuti (North Haven, Conn.) scored on a Hawk miscue for the 6-3 final.
Benvenuti finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored while senior John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) had a 2-for-4 game at the plate for the Bison. Sophomore Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) struck out four in his 13th career complete game.
Thomas batted 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and Baker went 2-for-for with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore A.J. Bashaw (Norton, Mass.) earned the win as he scattered three runs on nine hits and struck out five in six innings for the Hawks. Junior Tyler Pogmore (Lebanon, Conn.) collected his seventh save of the season.
Nichols freshman Brady Boisvert (Plainfield, N.H.) and Roger Williams sophomore Brendan Tefler (Avon, Conn.) traded zeroes on the scoreboard in game two until Hawk junior Mike Pascarella (Milford, Conn.) drove in the first of two Hawk runs in the top of the fifth. Jefferis followed with an RBI double down the left field line.
Jankins drove in senior captain Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) with a fielder's choice in the sixth to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Jefferis answered for the visitors in the seventh as he drilled a sacrifice fly to deep center field for the 3-1 final.
Tefler collected the victory as he allowed one run – zero earned – on two hits over five and a third innings with three strikeouts. Senior Tony Trafecanty (Franklin, Mass.) faced a pair of batters before Pogmore closed the game for his eighth save of the season and second of the day. Boisvert surrendered three runs on 11 hits and fanned one in his third complete game of the season.
Gill batted 2-for-3 with a run scored to pace the Bison offense in game two while Pascarella, Larson, Jeffris and freshman Tyler Campo (Wrentham, Mass.) each notched a pair of hits for the Hawks. Jefferis pitched in with a pair of RBI and Campo crossed home plate twice.
Prior to the first pitch eight seniors, Benvenuti, Bruno, James Curto (Braintree, Mass.), Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.), Gill, Jankins, Micciche and Kyle Russell (West Yarmouth, Mass.) were honored for their contributions to Nichols Athletics and the baseball program.
Nichols (5-30, 1-15 CCC) ends the 2013 campaign on Tuesday when the squad hosts Anna Maria for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game. Roger Williams (23-16, 10-6) sits in fourth place heading into the CCC Baseball Championship and await the official release later today.