Baseball Loses Twice to Nichols

BROCKTON, Mass. – Junior Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.) went 7-for-8 with four RBI to help the Nichols College baseball team earn a sweep over Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon at Campanelli Stadium. The Bison took a 9-6 win in the opener and an 8-1 decision in the nightcap.

Game One:  Nichols 9, Wentworth 6
Nichols scored a run in the top of the second inning as freshman Christian Naccari (Ossining, N.Y.) grounded out to score senior Matt Hardy (North Attleboro, Mass.) who hit a one-out double and moved to third on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the inning, Wentworth took advantage of a pair of Bison errors to take a 3-1 lead. Junior Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) led off with a single and moved to second on a sophomore Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) single. On an errant throw on a pickoff attempt, both players moved up 90 feet. Elrick scored when sophomore Dan Cole (Kingston, Mass.) reached on an error while on the play Jake Smith did not advance. Sophomore Matt Smith (Horseheads, N.Y.) sacrificed both runners over and senior Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) grounded out to score Jake Smith. Senior Jordan Burst had an RBI single, which plated Cole.

Wentworth took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third as senior Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) led off the inning getting hit by a pitch and a bunt single moved him to second. Elrick laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both players over and Temte scored on a wild pitch.

The top of the fourth inning saw Nichols take a 6-4 lead, thanks in part to a part of Wentworth errors. Senior Tim Ford (Stafford Springs, Conn.) doubled in freshman Kyle Bouchard (Fall River, Mass.) who had reached on an error, Ford scored on an errant throw on a sacrifice attempt, sophomore Andrew Doll (Plantation, Fla.) had a two-run double, and Cook delivered an RBI single.

Wentworth evened the score in the bottom of the fifth inning when Temte hit a one-out single and went to third after freshman Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.) reached on an error. Elrick singled in Temte which moved Swanson to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly from Jake Smith.

The top of the sixth inning saw the Bison score three times to take a 9-6 lead a Cook had a bunt single which scored sophomore Joe Assenza (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and freshman Chris Cerniglia (Monroe, N.J.) had a two-run single.

Cook was 3-for-4 with two RBI while Hardy and Doll had two hits apiece. Sophomore Danny Hayden (North Kingstown, R.I.) improved to 6-2 on the season as he allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings. Classmate Chris Dipilato (Worcester, Mass.) pitched a scoreless sixth, yielding one hit, before junior Kevin Kirley (Clinton, mass.) notched his fifth save of the season, as he allowed one hit in one inning.

Burst was 3-for-4 for Wentworth while Temte and Elrick each had two hits. Sophomore Leo Coehlo (Marlborough, Mass.) was tagged with the loss (1-3) as he allowed three runs on five hits in two-third of an inning. Junior Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) allowed six runs (one earned) on five hits over the first five innings.

Game Two:  Nichols 8, Wentworth 1
The Bison scored single runs in both the second and third innings. In the second inning, Hardy doubled in Ford who had led off with a double while in the third inning Cook led off the inning with a double and moved to third on an infield hit from Cerniglia. Cook scored when junior Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.) grounded into a double play.

Junior StigErik McElhinney (Dracut, Mass.) held the Leopard offense in check, allowing a first inning single to Weninger and working out of a bases-load jam in the third inning after hitting two batters and issuing a walk.

The Bison took advantage of three Wentworth errors in the sixth inning to take a 7-0 lead as Assenza (RBI single) and Cook (two-run single) helped pace the offense. Nichols added a run in the seventh on an RBI double from Hardy.

Wentworth scored its lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh on a milestone hit from Ferri. Sophomore Ross Golebiewski (Lyme, Conn.) led off with a single and went to second on a single from sophomore Anthony de la Cruz (Lynn, Mass.). Sophomore Steve Hall (Derry, N.H.) reached on a fielder's choice which forced de la Cruz out at second and moved Golebiewski to third. Ferri followed with an RBI single to left; his 100th career hit making him the 21st member of the century club.

McElhinney picked up the win, improving to 5-2 on the year as he allowed one run on four hits and struck out six in a complete-game effort. Cook was 4-for-4 with two RBI while Hardy was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI.

Sophomore Mike Callagee (Emerson, N.J.) was saddled with the loss (2-1) as he allowed seven runs (two earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work. Four different players had hits.

Wentworth (14-15, 4-10 CCC) closes out the regular season at home against Curry on Sunday. Nichols (20-15, 9-5 CCC) hosts Salve Regina, also on Sunday.

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