PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Led by seven innings of two-hit baseball from senior Vincent Amato, the Nichols College baseball team earned a 2-1 victory over Amherst College on Wednesday afternoon in Port Charlotte, Fla.
 
Amato allowed only one unearned run while striking out four and walking three in the win for the Bison (3-5). Freshman Matthew Stewart earned his first career save, giving up only one hit with a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work.
 
Senior Nick Roy led the Nichols offense, going 3-for-4 with a run scored, while classmate Chris Andersonwent 2-for-3 with the other run scored. Senior Cam Cook and sophomore Ryan Nesbit each went 1-for-3, with sophomore Kyle Bouchard adding a 1-for-4 day with an RBI. Junior Joe Assenza went 0-for-2, but drove in the game-winning RBI for the Bison.
 
Amherst (2-2) junior Andrew Ferrero was on the losing side of the pitcher's duel, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Junior Mike Dow and senior Sam Schneider combined to pitch the final 1.2 innings, giving up only one hit.
 
The Mammoths took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as they plated a run with a sacrifice bunt to take the early advantage. Bouchard answered in the Nichols half of the fourth as he drove in Nick Roy with an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Both offenses were kept in check until the seventh inning when Anderson hit a one-out single up the middle before moving into scoring position on a double down the right field line from Nesbit. After a pitching change, Assenza gave the Mammoths a taste of their own medicine as he placed a perfect bunt that scored Anderson and put Nichols in front, 2-1.
 
After a clean eighth inning, Stewart ran into some trouble in the ninth as sophomore Zach Horwitz hit a one out single, followed by pinch runner senior Ryan Hardin stealing second with two outs. A wild pitch allowed Hardin to move to third, but Stewart worked out of the jam by striking out the final batter he faced and closing out the 2-1 victory.
 
The Bison are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they take on Arcadia at 10:00 a.m.
 
All-Time Series
Wednesday marked the 13th meeting between the programs and the Bison hold an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series.