BRISTOL, R.I. (4/27/2024) – Senior Brennan Hyde hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning of game one to give the Nichols College Baseball team the win, before graduate student Patrick Sawyer, juniors Sean Ryan, and Nolan Sullivan silenced the #23 Roger Williams Hawks for a sweep in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play on Saturday. The Bison swept the Hawks 7-6 and 8-5 from Paolino Field.
Hyde led the way for the Bison with five RBI in the doubleheader and he also hit the day's lone home run. Ben Jerome was nearly perfect, batting 3-4 in the second game, and swiping four bases in the sweep. Jerome is now tied for the program record for stolen bases in a single season. Junior Taj Vera Cruz and sophomore Dylan Moran also had multi-hit games for the Bison.
Game 1: Nichols 7 #23 Roger Williams 6
After Jerome got on base in his first at-bat, Jerome stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error by the catcher. Gradate student Will Kleinhenz scored Jerome with a single. Back-to-back walks from senior Andrew Croteau and sophomore Liam Flynn, allowed junior William Nath to single, scoring Kleinhenz and Croteau for a 3-0 Bison led. A single up the middle off the bat Moran, scored Flynn for a four spot in the first inning.
The Hawks earned a run back in the bottom half of the inning. Nichols added their fifth run of the game in the top of the second inning, when Croteau scored senior Johnny Knox with a sac fly. The Bison led 5-1 after two innings of play. Roger Williams scored two more runs in the bottom of the third inning, to cut into the lead.
The Hawks offense continued to push and earned a 6-5 lead, with two runs in the fifth inning. Nichols was not done yet. After a single up the middle from Taj Vera Cruz in the eighth inning, Hyde hit a fly ball the opposite way and the ball found its way out of the park and a two-run home run, that allowed the Bison to grab back the 7-6 lead and eventually hang on and win the game.
Junior John Steed earned the start and went 5.0 innings, allowing nine hits and struck out eight batters. Classmate Clark Churchill (6-2) entered in relief and threw 4.0 innings, while striking out four batters, allowing two hits, and no runs for the Bison.
Game 2: Nichols 8 #23 Roger Williams 5
The Nichols bats continued into game two as well, as the Bison jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. A single that was followed by three straight walks, scored the first run of the game for the Bison. Flynn then scored Knox, after reaching on a fielder's choice, to make it 2-0 Bison.
Roger Williams, once again responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning, to cut into the lead. Nichols continued to apply pressure and scored their third run on a fielding error. This lead held for a few innings, before Nichols extended the lead with another run in the fifth inning. A Hyde sac-fly scored Jerome, for a 4-1 Bison lead.
In the sixth inning, Nichols took control of the game with a three-run inning, making it 7-1. Jerome singled and scored Nath, while Hyde reached on a throwing error, and scored two more runs for the Bison. A solo run in the seventh, put the game out of reach for the Hawks, as the Bison won 8-5.
Sawyer (5-3) earned the win, throwing 6.0 innings and striking out five batters. Ryan, entered in relief for 1.2 innings and allowed three hits and struck out two. Sullivan (1) earned the save, going 1.1 innings and striking out one batter.
In the win the Bison tied the single season home run record (33) with their 33rd home run of the season and also tied the program record for most wins (24) in a single season with the sweep of #23 Roger Williams. Knox also earned his 100th RBI for his career in the win for the Bison.
Nichols (24-9, 8-5 CCC) will head home for a pair of 7-inning games against Lasell University on Sunday, April 28. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. (noon).