DUDLEY, Mass. – The Curry College baseball team split a doubleheader with Nichols College in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Saturday afternoon at the Nichols Baseball Field. The Colonels grabbed Game 1, 2-1, before dropping Game 2 with a 5-3 loss.

Game 1: Curry 2, Nichols 1 (7 innings)

Sophomore StigErik McElhinney (Dracut, Mass.) pitched six solid innings, however, suffered his second loss of the season as the Bison dropped Game 1 to the Colonels, 2-1. McElhinney allowed two runs (one earned) over six frames on 10 hits while walking two and striking out one.

Freshman Matt Fogarty (Millis, Mass.) pitched the whole way for the Colonels and allowed just one run on six hits and one walk while striking out one. Fogarty improves to 3-2 on the year.

Freshman Joe Assenza (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) paced the Bison with a pair of hits and a run scored while sophomore William De La Cruz (Tewksbury, Mass.) led the way for the Colonels, finishing 2-for-4 with ultimately the game-winning run in the fourth inning off of a sac-fly from senior John Arens (Milton, Mass.).

The Colonels took the lead in the first inning after what should have been a ground out to end the inning from sophomore Zach Bowden (Taunton, Mass.) was thrown over junior Tim Ford (Stafford Springs, Conn.) at first base and into right field – allowing freshman Jack Kallinich (Madison, Conn.) to score.

The Bison's lone run came in the fifth inning off a single to right field from sophomore Ross Caswell (Randolph, Vt.) which brought home Assenza.

Game 2: Nichols 5, Curry 3 (7 innings)

Sophomore Nick Osma (Babylon, N.Y.) finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI's and a run scored as the Bison defeated the Colonels in Game 2 of the doubleheader, 5-3.

Sophomore Vincent Amato (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out one to earn his first win of the year. Sophomore Kevin Kirley (Clinton, Mass.) pitched the final two outs to earn his conference-leading seventh save of the season.

The Colonels were led by junior Nick Crivello (Millville, Mass.) who finished the game 3-for-3 with a run scored while Fogarty scored a run and drove in a run in the fourth inning on a single to center to tie things up at one.

The Bison trailed 3-1 in the fourth inning when Osma lined one that took a bad hop to the third baseman and brought home sophomore Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.). Assenza came up two batters later and hit a sac-fly to right field that brought home sophomore Spencer Madden (Nashua, N.H.) to tie things up, 3-3.

With the game still tied at three in the sixth inning, sophomore Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.)singled to the left side – bringing home Osma. On the same play the shortstop then threw the ball through the second baseman and into right field, bringing home sophomore Brendan Martin (Nashua, N.H.) to put the Bison up 5-3.

All-Time Series

The Bison are now 3-3 against the Colonels under third-year head coach Nick Puccio – the two teams have split the doubleheader each season.

Next Games

Nichols (14-12, 5-3 CCC) – Tuesday, April 19 vs Amherst, 3:30 p.m.
Curry (7-17, 2-6 CCC) – Sunday, April 17 vs Roger Williams, 12:00 p.m.

(Release courtesy of Nichols College Sports Information Department)