DUDLEY, Mass. – Junior Tim Ford (Stafford Springs, Conn.) had a pair of RBI's while sophomore Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.) drove in another as the Nichols College baseball team's season came to a close Friday afternoon with a 7-4 loss to top-seeded Western New England in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament.
The Bison finish their season with a program-record 24 games and advanced to the CCC Tournament for the first time since 2009.
Ford and Cook along with senior Benjamin Harrow (North Reading, Mass.) and sophomore Brendan Martin (Nashua, N.H.) each collected a pair of hits while sophomore Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.) finished the game 1-for-4 with a run scored.
The Golden Bears (30-9) were led by senior Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y.) who finished the game 4-for-5 – including a double and a triple – while adding a pair of RBI's and a run scored. Senior Eduardo Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) added three hits and three runs while driving in another.
Freshman Bob Hamel (Southwick, Mass.) – the CCC Rookie of the Year – moved to 7-1 on the year after tossing seven innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits while walking two and striking out four. Senior Matt Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) earned his third save of the season, tossing a scoreless ninth to end the Bison's season.
Junior Adam Rigney (Niantic, Conn.) started the game for the Bison and allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits through four innings of duty before handing the ball over to sophomore StigErik McElhinney (Dracut, Mass.). McElhinney tossed four scoreless innings to give the Bison a chance.
Nichols (24-16) fell behind 6-0 after two innings before scratching across a run in the third after junior Matt Hardy (North Attleboro, Mass.) reached on a muffed throw by the Golden Bear first baseman, allowing Martin to scamper home.
The Golden Bears pushed the lead back to six when Milne tripled home Colmenares in the fourth inning.
The Bison then answered back with three runs in the sixth inning – two of from the Ford double and another off a single to left field by Cook that brought Ford home. Nichols scattered a pair of hits over the last three trips to the plate but could not score the runs it needed.
The Bison's season comes to a close and No. 1 Western New England plays host to No. 2 Endicott tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at Trelease Park.