FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Southern Vermont College baseball team split a twin bill against Nichols College, losing the first 3-2 and then taking the second 7-4 in 10 innings at the Fort Myers Player Development Complex on Sunday.

The Mountaineers are now 2-1 on the season while Nichols falls to 1-3.

 

GAME 1 – Nichols 3, SVC 2

                The early going of the first game featured Mountaineer freshman pitcher Erik Johansen (Rosendale, N.Y.) who worked out of an early jam in his first collegiate start, only allowing one run off a sacrifice fly by Bison junior designated hitter Shayne McNally (Auburn, Mass.); he knocked in senior John Micciche (Holdbrook, Mass.) after Nichols loaded the bases with two walks and a hit.

                Southern Vermont was able to get its first two batters on, but couldn't produce much after Nichols freshman right fielder Greg Poll (East Granby, Conn.) caught a fly ball and gunned out sophomore center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) trying to tag to third.

                The SVC southpaw worked well through the second, only allowing a walk while striking out a Bison hitter. The Mountaineers tied it up in the bottom of the frame as sophomore second baseman Chris Nicastro (Cranford, N.J.) knocked in sophomore left fielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) who started the inning with a soaring double that flew over the center fielder's head.

                Mountaineer pitching and defense remained solid in the third as Johansen sat down the side in order with a punch out to end the inning. Southern Vermont runners were erased in the bottom of the third as Nichols was able to pick off one and catch another on a delayed steal.

                With one out in the visitor's fourth and Bison runners on second and third, the Mountaineers were able to hold NC scoreless after Sciara caught a fly ball and threw to home; senior catcher Corey D. Briggs (Wood River, R.I.) came out to get the throw, causing McNally to take off for home. Johansen covered the dish and slapped the tag to end the threat.

                SVC was not able to do much in the bottom before Nichols tacked up two more in the fifth as a lead-off single and ensuing walk put two on for the Bison. With two outs and the runners off on contact, a right-center single by freshman Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) brought in the first, and the trail runner took off to score as the throw was coming in.

                After four scoreless boxes, the Mountaineers entered the final seventh with a 3-1 deficit. Trying to get the bats rolling and have a second-straight come-back win, Southern Vermont got a pair of runners on before sophomore replacement Jared Hayen (Esperance, N.Y.) worked the walk to load them up. An ensuing walk to freshman Adam Michaud (East Hampton, Conn.) brought in Nicastro to make it a 3-2 ballgame. That would be as close as the Mountaineers would get, however, as a fly-out would wrap it up for the Bison.

                Freshman pitcher Brady Boisvert (Plainfield, N.H.) earned his first win (1-0) on the season for Nichols while senior reliever Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) recorded the save (1). Johansen (0-1) took the loss on the day.

                Nicastro went 1-2 in the game with a run scored and run batted in while also helping turn a double play in the field. Mountaineer pitching held the Bison to only five hits with no player recording more than one. Gill worked three walks for NC and scored a run. Nichols senior shortstop Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) was 1-2 with a walk and run scored.

GAME 2 – SVC 7, Nichols 4 (10)

                The day cap saw Southern Vermont start with a double roped down the left field line by Hernandez followed by a walk by freshman second baseman RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.). A double steal put them both in scoring position with one out, but NC the starting Nicolace was able to work out of it with a strikeout and a grounder to third.

                Nichols took to an early lead as a hardly hit grounder to short by senior third baseman John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) moved senior captain Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) to third; Micciche then moved to second on the throw in. Jankins, playing as the designated hitter, then lined to the right side to bring in Gill for the first tally of the game. With runners on first and third and no outs, senior pitcher and captain Dave Northup (Richmond, R.I.) worked out of it as Jankins was thrown out trying to steal second; Northup got the next two to line out to right, not far enough to score Micciche from third, and a pop out to end the inning.

                The top of the second saw SVC have a chance when D. Briggs took one for the team and then advanced to second on a pickoff attempt by Nicolace that sailed by the first baseman. A frozen rope by Mountaineer sophomore left fielder Jared Hayen (Esperance, N.Y.) over the pitcher gave the Mountaineers a momentary hope, but that was erased as Bruno climbed the ladder to snag it for the inning-ender.

                Northup came back to fan two Bison as he retired the side in order to put the bats back in the Mountaineers' hands. Hernandez tagged another to left, this time having it bounce just short of the fence and over for the ground rule double. Small ball saw Pingitore move Hernandez to third with a sacrifice bunt, and senior first baseman Corey Armstrong (Bennington, Vt.) brought him in with a shot down the third base line to tie it at 1-1.

                Nichols would regain the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Bruno walked and moved to second with a sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch then sent him to third before being knocked in by Poll who singled to left.

                The Mountaineers responded in the next frame with three runs started by a Pingitore walk. After an Armstrong rope up the middle and fielder's choice out, senior third baseman Dan Vardaro (Colonie, N.Y.), who had substituted in the previous inning, took one the opposite way over Poll's head in right for a two-run triple. He then turned on the motor and scored on a Nicolace wild pitch to make it 4-2 in favor of the Mountaineers.

                Northup continued into the bottom of the fifth, pitching well, allowing just one hit before a strikeout ended the side. After the Mountaineers were retired by a double play, senior closer Joel DeFedele (North Kingstown, R.I.) came in to try and obtain the two-inning save. However, the Bison were able to tie it to negate the possibility. With two runners on, McNally pinch hit and fouled out deep enough down the right field line for Nichols junior Nick Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.) to move to third and Bruno to second. NC sophomore second baseman Brett Franciosi (Leomister, Mass.) singled to bring around both runners to even things up.

                Neither team was able to get any across the plate in the final regularly-scheduled inning, despite the Mountaineers loading the bases with two outs. Hernandez grounded to third, allowing D. Briggs to get tagged out.

                Extra play ensued into the 10th when the Mountaineers were able to get their energy up and momentum going with a lead-off lay down by Hayen. Hernandez then reached and subsequently moved to second when Pingitore hit a grounder that found its way through the left side to bring in Hayen for the go-ahead. SVC sophomore Cody LaBadia (Howes Caves, N.Y.) got a free pass to load the bases, and Vardaro then took the tough RBI by taking a pitch in the arm. Nicastro followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Pingitore to put Southern Vermont up 7-4.

                The Mountaineers were not out of the woods as Nichols came out in the bottom of the inning to threaten with a Jankins single down the left field line and a Shaw shot to right. Southern Vermont junior reliever Kurt Kowalczyk (Amsterdam, N.Y.) was able to get the next three Bison to put the ball in the air, however, to give SVC the 7-4 victory.

                Kowalczyk, who had replaced DeFedele after the sixth, grabs his first win of the season (1-0) by not allowing any runs and only four hits in four innings of work. Nichols junior right-hander Nick Croteau (Fitchburg, Mass.) took the loss (0-1) after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits in five innings of work.

                Armstrong was 3-4 with a walk and run batted in while Vardaro finished with three RBIs and a run scored. Pingitore was 1-3 with two walks, an RBI and two runs scored.

                Jankins was 3-5 in the game with an RBI while Shaw went 1-2 with two walks and a run scored. Micciche finished 2-3 in the game.

 

                The Mountaineers have Monday off and continue the spring trip schedule Tuesday with a 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. doubleheader against Plymouth State University. Nichols takes on the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Monday at 10 a.m.