AMCATS Power Past Bison, 8-5

DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team ended the 2013 campaign with an 8-5 setback to Worcester County opponent Anna Maria in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday.

Nichols senior Kyle Russell (West Yarmouth, Mass.) went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored while classmate John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) batted 2-for-4 with double, an RBI and a run scored at the leadoff spot. First-year Brady Boisvert (Plainfield, N.H.) also had a 2-for-4 outing and an RBI for the Bison. Senior Ray Curto (Braintree, Mass.) shouldered the decision for the hosts while he and seven classmates each took their turn on the mound in their collegiate finale. James Curto (Braintree, Mass.) along with Micciche Russell,  Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.), Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) and Anthony Benvenuti (North Haven, Conn.) all faced at least three batters without allowing a run to score. Classmate Chris Bruno (Darien, Conn.) was touched up for one run and first-year Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) broke up the string of seniors before yielding to  Benvenuti.

Senior Justin Hyland (Spencer, Mass.) led the AMCATS (14-19) with a 3-for-5 day that included two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. Classmate Joe McNeil (Sutton, Mass.) also turned in a 3-for-5 effort as he drove in one and scored twice. Senior Mike Guarnieri (Wallingford, Conn.) also chipped in with a 2-for-5 day that included a two-RBI double in the second inning. Sophomore Michael Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) and junior John Sullivan (Southbury, Conn.) each batted 2-for-4 with a double for the guests. Sophomore Tyler Stuart (Oxford, Mass.) picked up the win as he surrendered three runs on four hits over five innings with five strikeouts. Sophomore Lucas Davis (Spencer, Mass.) tossed three scoreless frames while junior Phil Weilhn (Clinton, Mass.) finished the game for the AMCATS.

Sullivan put the AMCATS on top 1-0 in the top of the first as he lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Anna Maria went on to push five runners across home plate in the second as the visitors strung together four consecutive hits that were bookended by Kilcoyne's run-producing double and Guarnieri's two-RBI single to left center.

In the top of the third Hyland connected on an RBI double to deep center field to make it a 7-0 ballgame. Nichols responded in the home half of the frame as Micciche connected on a sacrifice fly to center field and Jankins sent an RBI-single to right center.

Each team plated a run in the fourth inning. Anna Maria freshman Julian Diaz (Providence, R.I.) drove in a run courtesy of a two-out single to left field before first-year Kevin Cotton (Westminster, Mass.) sent a sacrifice fly to right field.

The contest remained 8-3 in the guests favor until the bottom of the ninth. Micciche doubled to left field for his 99th career hit to begin the frame and later scored on a Boisvert single to left center. Nicolace pushed a seeing-eye single through the left side to deliver the final run of the game.

Anna Maria faces off with Becker tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in Leicester before taking on Division I Holy Cross on Saturday at noon.