Mid Massachusetts News

The Nichols baseball team came up one run short in its second ninth inning comeback bid in as many days, dropping a 3-2 defeat to Trinity (CT) on Friday afternoon at DiBenedetto Field. The Bison now sit at 1-6 (0-0 CCC) while the Bantams jumped above .500 at 2-1 (0-0 NESCAC).
 
Sophomore John Steed got the nod for his first collegiate start for the Bison and began the outing with two strikeouts as he retired the side in order in the bottom of the first. The Bison would go on to take a 1-0 lead in the next inning as Stanley Cipkas doubled down the left field line and then scored on a throwing error by Bantams' shortstop on the next ball put in play by Jacob Tipton.
 
Nichols would hold that one-run lead as Steed continued to work through four scoreless innings. Steed's outing ended after the Vernon, Conn. native allowed his first two batters faced in the bottom of the fifth to get on base. Sean Ryan entered with Steed's runners on the corners, but only allowed one run on a sacrifice fly. Ryan then got out of the jam on a pop out and strikeout to send both teams to the sixth inning tied at 1-1.
 
Trinity would push another run across the plate after playing some small ball, as Patrick Dillon singled and was bunted over to second on a sac bunt. Dillon advanced to third on a fly out and later scored when Jack Mathews slapped a single to right field, giving the Bantams their first lead of the game, 2-1.
 
Trailing by one in the bottom of the eighth, Richard Pignone came in to relieve Ryan and allowed a run to score after a passed ball allowed William Sawyer to advance to second base with an RBI single soon to follow, making it 3-1.
 
Down to its last at-bats, Nichols put together a bid to tie the game with a slew of subs being used strategically by skipper Tim Mayo. With Cameron Guerrera on second following a walk and a Tipton walk, Mayo turned to Noah Hickey to pinch hit and Kelvin Gutierrez to pinch run for Tipton. Both baserunners stole to push themselves into scoring position before Hickey walked to load the bases. Cooper McGrath, fresh into the game for the Bantams, walked Ben Jerome, forcing in Guerrera to make it a one-run game with two outs. The Bison were unable to plate a third run and their comeback bid fell just short.
 
Steed's final stat line included four hits, one earned run, one walk, and two strikeouts. Ryan recorded his second loss of the young campaign, going three complete, also allowing just one earned run on three hits and one strikeout. Pignone's outing yielded a two hit, one strikeout, one earned run day.
 
Ian Brown earned the win going 3.2 innings, striking out five Bison batters and allowing just one earned run. McGrath capped off the win with the save for Trinity.

Original source can be found here.