GEORGETOWN, T.X. (3/11/2025) – Sophomore Anthony Hackert and freshman Ryan Keating combined for seven hits and eight RBI as the Nichols College baseball team rolled past Southwestern University (TX) by a final score of 15-6 from Rockwell Family Baseball Field on Monday night.
Hackert led the way going 5-6 with four singles, three runs scored, and four RBI. Keating went 2-4 with four RBI as well. Seniors Ben Jerome, Karl Miller, juniors Julian Galvan, and Liam Flynn all recorded multi-hit games as well for Nichols.
Senior Jack Steed (2-0) was nearly perfect in his appearance in relief, throwing 4.0 innings, allowing one hit and fanning five batters to secure the win for Nichols. Freshman Tim Hudson earned the start, throwing 3.0 innings and striking out one batter, while allowing three hits. Local Texan, Dalton Holbrook made an appearance as well, throwing 1.2 innings and struck out to batters. Teammate Jonathon Brzezicki also faced one batter, forcing a fly-out to seal the win.
Nichols opened the scoring with back-to-back singles and a pair of walks to bring Hackert to the plate with two outs. He singled to right center field, scoring Jerome and Flynn to take a 2-0 lead. Keating the batted and singled to left field, scoring two more runners for a 4-0 Bison lead after top half of the first inning.
The Pirates answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs to trail 4-2. Jerome singled in the top of the second inning and came around to score on a wild pitch to take a 5-2 lead. Nichols scored one more run in the third inning, when Keating singled in Hackert, making it 6-2 Bison. Southwestern, continued to battle back with a pair of runs, making it 6-4 after three innings.
Two singles and a hit-by-pitch, loaded the bases and Keating beat out a double play ball, scoring a run and extending the lead, 7-4. The Bison scored two more runs in the fifth inning, with a Miller sac fly and Hackert once again delivered at the plate with an RBI single and Nichols extended the lead to 9-4.
The seventh inning, was no different for the Bison, tallying four more runs, making it 13-4 Nichols. Galvan tripled and then scored with a Miller double to left center. Hackert singled, scoring Flynn and then Miller stole home scoring before Hackert scored on a wild pitch.
A Croteau sac-fly played the 14th run and Nichols led by 10, 14-4. Nichols added another run in the ninth inning and won 15-6 to kick off the Texas Trip. Nichols now improves to 2-0 all-time against Southwestern.
Nichols (3-1) will travel to San Antonio, Texas for a Top 10 match-up with #8 Trinity University. First pitch is set for 8:00 p.m. (ET)/7:00 p.m. (CT).