Mid Massachusetts News

The Nichols baseball team dropped an 8-1 decision to Lebanon Valley in Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon. With the loss, Nichols falls to 1-9 (0-0 CCC), while Lebanon Valley improves to 4-8-1 (0-0 MAAC) on the season.
 
The Bison put pressure on in the first two innings with five baserunners, but Lebanon Valley was able to escape jam in each inning. Nichols starter Aidan Whitten cruised through the first four innings, letting up only two hits to keep the game scoreless. The Dutchmen broke through in the fifth inning with a leadoff homerun for the first run of the game. The next two batters got on base by a hit-by-pitch and an error with each eventually scoring on a base hit to extend their lead to 3-0.
 
Nichols added a run in the top of the seventh when Karl Miller reached on an error, later scoring on an RBI single by senior Jim Marasco. Lebanon Valley escaped further damage, using two strikeouts and a ground out to end the inning. The Dutchmen added four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on four hits and two errors to blow the game open. Lebanon Valley tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth, making it an 8-1 ballgame. Marasco worked a walk in the bottom half of the inning, but a strikeout ended the ballgame.
 
Whitten went five innings for the Bison, yielding four hits, giving up three runs (one earned), and racking up five strikeouts. Andrew Croteau, Miller, and Marasco all picked up hits for the Bison.
 
The Bison will look to turn it around quickly as they take on Shenandoah on Thursday, March 16 in Winchester, Va. with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. 

Original source can be found here.