NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team opened its 2017 season with a 9-1 win over Framingham State in non-conference action Friday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex.
 
Junior Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.) collected a game-high three hits to go with a pair of RBI's and two stolen bases to lead the Bison to only their second season-opening win in the last six seasons.
 
Nichols received a nice pitching outing from senior Adam Rigney (Niantic, Conn.) – who did not allow a run through the first five frames while striking out eight Rams on only three hits and four walks. Junior Vincent Amato (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pitched the final four innings allowing one run (unearned) on no hits while striking out four.
 
The Rams were led by senior designated hitter Manny Powers (Malden, Mass.) who walked three times and sophomore Kyle Lippert (Carlsbad, Calif.) who scored the teams only run.
 
The Bison led 1-0 entering the seventh inning where they scratched across another pair of runs including ultimately the game-winner on a single to center by Cook that scored sophomore Andrew Doll (Plantation, Fla.).
 
Lippert scored the only run of the game for the Rams on a wild pitch from Amato in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Nichols added six runs over the final two frames to claim the win.
 
Rigney took the win while sophomore Kyle Hodgson (Berkley, Mass.) took the loss for the Rams – allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits through 6.2 innings of duty while striking out four.  
 
All-Time Series
The Bison have defeated the Rams the last two seasons and have improved in the all-time series to 11-7.
 
Next Games
Nichols (1-0) – Tuesday, March 7 vs Wheaton (MA) at Clark (MA), 3:30 p.m.
Framingham St. (0-1) – Tuesday, March 7 vs Plymouth St., 4:00 p.m.