Bison take two from Seahawks

NEWPORT, R.I. – Junior John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) finished 3-for-5 with a home run and three runs scored, sparking the Nichols College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep over Salve Regina University during Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Brother Reynolds Field on Saturday afternoon. The Bison took game one by a score of 5-0 before holding off a late charge by the Seahawks in the nightcap to nail down a 6-4 victory. The pair of losses drops Salve Regina to 9-19 (3-5 CCC), while Nichols improves to 6-14 (3-7 CCC).

Salve Regina's Nicholas Politelli (Warwick, R.I.) and Nichols' Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.) were both brilliant on the mound in game one, taking a 1-1 tie into the seventh inning.

The Bison erupted for four runs on three hits in the top of the seventh, including a two-run base knock by junior Kyle Russell (W. Yarmouth, Mass.) and an RBI single by sophomore Nick Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.) to take a 5-1 advantage.

The Seahawks answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, receiving an RBI double from sophomore Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) before eventually falling by the final score of 5-2.

Shute went the distance for the Bison, earning his second win of the season by allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out five.

The Bison jumped out to a commanding 6-0 lead in the nightcap. Micciche got the scoring started with a solo homer in the top of the fourth, before the Bison rallied for four runs on five hits in the fifth. Freshman Mike Cattaruzza (North Branford, Conn.), Nick Shaw, and junior Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) each delivered run-scoring singles during the outburst, while Russell chipped in with a sacrifice fly to center. The Bison added their sixth run on a solo blast by Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) in the top of the sixth inning.

The Seahawks fought back with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Joe Haley (North Kingstown, R.I.) and sophomore Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.) started the inning with back-to-back doubles to get the Seahawks on the board. Sophomore Stephen Crawford (Barrington, R.I.) then reached on a sacrifice fly, which was misplayed in the outfield. Donohue plated another on a sacrifice fly to center, while senior Matt Capone (East Providence, R.I.) capped the rally by driving home the fourth run with a fielder's choice ground out.

However, that was all the Seahawks could muster, as junior Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) came in and retired the side in order in the seventh to notch his first save of the season for the Bison.

The Bison will take to the field again on Monday, traveling to face Gordon at 2 p.m., while the Seahawks will be back in action on Sunday, hitting the road to battle Roger Williams in a CCC doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m.