HAVERHILL, Mass. – Sophomore Mike Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.)had three hits, two RBI's, and the eventual game-winning run in Game 2 as the Nichols College baseball team split a doubleheader with Wentworth in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Saturday evening at Trinity Stadium.

The Bison (5-12-1, 2-7-1 CCC) dropped Game 1, 2-1, before coming back and winning Game 2 5-4.

Game 1 – Wentworth 2, Nichols 1

The two teams saw a pitching duel between freshman Vincent Amato(Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.). Both pitchers pitched the entire game as Amato pitched 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out three. Denis earned his fourth win of the year after tossing seven innings of one-run ball and allowing six hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

The Bison struck first in the top half of the third inning with an RBI single to right field from junior Benjamin Harrow (North Reading, Mass.) that sent freshman Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.) to third base and brought freshman Cam Cook(Phoenixville, Pa.) in to score.

The Leopards (13-10, 5-5 CCC) answered back in the bottom of the fourth when freshman Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) connected on a homerun to right field.

The Leopards won the game on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Scott Oullette (Lewiston, Maine) led off the inning with a single to center field and later scored on a one-out RBI single by classmate Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.).

Game 2 – Nichols 5, Wentworth 4

The Bison exploded for five runs in the fourth inning to defeat the Leopards in the nightcap, 5-4. Harrow paced the Bison with two hits while also scoring a run and Piekarczyk picked up two RBI's as the Bison earned their second conference-win of the season.

Nichols sent all nine hitters to the plate in the top of the fourth inning. Roy led-off the inning with a single to right field. After a walk to Harrow, freshman Spencer Madden (Nashua, N.H.)  reached on a throwing error by Oullette on his sac-bunt that scored Roy and sent Harrow to third.

Freshman Nick Osma (Babylon, N.Y.) walked to load the bases and Piekarczyk followed that up with a single up the middle that scored both Harrow and Madden. Sophomore Anthony Razzano (Shrewsbury, Mass.) made it six-consecutive Bison to reach base after he lined an RBI single to right field that scored Osma.

Piekarczyk scored on the very next batter as sophomore Tim Ford (Stafford Springs, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice to sophomore shortstop Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.).
The Leopards were led by sophomore Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) with two hits and two runs while Oullette and Matera also had hits.

Freshman Zach Morgillo (Hamden, Conn.) earned his first collegiate victory after allowing just three runs through five innings while giving up three hits and walking eight and striking out four. Junior Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) earned the save after pitching the final two innings and allowing one run on one hits while walking three and striking out four.

Sophomore Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) through six innings and giving up six hits while walking three and striking out four.

The Bison host Roger Williams tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. The Leopards play at Western New England on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.