DUDLEY, Mass. (April 19) – Senior outfielder Cale LaCasse (Danielson, Conn.) hit a walkoff three-run single to lift the Nichols College baseball team to a 9-8 nightcap victory over Endicott in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader Monday afternoon. The Gulls won the opener, 2-1, backed by a complete-game five-hitter from Nick Kelley. With the win, Nichols snaps a nine-game losing streak and stands at 10-20 overall and 6-12 in TCCC action, while Endicott goes to 21-10 overall and 14-2 in league play after seeing an eight-game win streak snapped.
The Bison scored their lone run in the first inning on a George Sergi (Blackstone, Mass.) fielder’s choice. Al Montalto (Wilmington, Mass.) scored on the play after he reached base by being hit by a pitch and advancing to third on an Austin Martin (Cranston, R.I.) single. Montalto also recorded the only extra base hit of the game with a double in the sixth inning.
Kelley did not allow a run after that. He went the complete seven innings as well and recorded three one-two-three innings. Smith also recorded three one-two-three innings as each team was scrapping for runs.
The Gulls knotted it up in the fifth on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field by Chris Dominguez which scored Mike Russo. Russo would end up scoring the game-winning run in the top of the seventh when he stole home on a failed squeeze play, but the pitch bounced in the dirt and got away, giving him plenty of time to reach home safely. Nichols went down in order in the bottom of the seventh and the Gulls grabbed their 21st win of the season.
Nichols senior righty Tim Smith (Plainfield, Conn.) picked up the loss as he allowed two earned runs on seven hits and a walk in his seven innings. Kelley received the win as he allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out two. Each team was errorless in the first game, while Endicott left six base runners on base and Nichols left two on base.
In the nightcap the Gulls struck first. In the top of the second they crossed home plate twice via a throwing error and an RBI single from Andrew Betts. Russo scored his third run of the day on the single.
Nichols cut the lead to one in the bottom half of the second inning when Sergi hustled his way from second base to score on a Chris Nemeskal (Swampscott, Mass.) fielder’s choice. The two teams added a run each in the third to make the score 3-2, Endicott. The Gulls got their run off of an RBI double from Aaron Santos, while the Bison scored on an RBI single from Sergi.
Endicott doubled its run total in the fifth to expand their lead to 6-2. Catcher Joe Klein (Monroe, Conn.) knocked in the first two runs of the inning on a two-run double. Klein then scored on a single by Russo.
Nichols responded in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. Dan Smith (Verona, N.J.) and Kyle Russell (W. Yarmouth, Mass.) led off the inning with back-to back hits to get themselves into scoring position. Zac Johnson (Wakefield, R.I.) recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly, followed by an RBI groundball by Montalto in which he reached base on an error. Sergi brought home Montalto with an RBI single later in the inning to bring the Bison back within one.
Ralph Fidaleo made the score 8-5 with a two-run double in the sixth for Endicott and Nichols made the score 8-6 when LaCasse scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth. He later ended up the hero in the bottom of the seventh with the Bison down 8-6, the bases loaded with two outs. He hit a high single down the right field line that the right fielder dove for, but the ball glanced off his glove and the Bison cleared the bases with Sergi scoring the winning run on a play at the plate.
Martin was the starting pitcher in the second game. He went four plus innings, allowed three runs, (one earned), on five hits and two walks. Dan Vreeland (Becket, Mass.) picked up the win for the Bison in the final inning of relief work, while Colin McGinn took the loss in the final inning, allowing three runs on two hits while fanning one. Kevin Dupras started the game for the Gulls, allowing give runs (two earned) on six hits through four and a third before bowing out to Benjamin Petrides.
Nichols travels to New England College on Tuesday for a noon TCCC doubleheader, while Endicott travels to Curry for a 3 p.m. conference twinbill.
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score