WELLESLEY, Mass. – Strong pitching was the story of the day as Wellesley College softball split its non-conference home opener with Nichols College on Wednesday. The Bison (11-3) picked up a 2-1 extra innings win in the opener before the Blue (5-5) shut out the visitors, 2-0, in game two.

Game 1 | Nichols 2, Wellesley 1 | Final - 9 innings

Wellesley sophomore Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) and Nichols senior Chelsea Indyk (Easthampton, Mass.) went to war in an extra-innings pitcher's duel. Both pitchers threw all nine innings for their respective teams with Wicker striking out seven and Indyk fanning eight.

The Blue spaced out eight hits, stranding 13 on base while the Bison had five hits and left eight on the bags. 

Wellesley nearly got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases. Indyk remained calm and forced a popup and a fly out to remain unblemished. Nichols came close to scoring in the top of the seventh, with Wicker stranding a pair on the pads.

A single to left field from junior Riley Chartier (Johnson, R.I.) brought home the automatic runner for the Bison in the top of the eighth. The Blue countered in the bottom of the inning when junior Emeline Gaunce (Los Altos, Calif.) singled in first year Natalie Nicol (Latexo, Texas.)

The Bison made it 2-1 in the top nine when senior Erin Gour (Westfield, Mass.) smacked a deep double to right, scoring junior Allie Silliman (Rensselaer, N.Y.). While a sacrifice bunt put the automatic runner for the Blue on third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, a strikeout and a grounder spelled doom for the hosts.

Game 2 | Wellesley 2, Nichols 0 | Final

Blue senior Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) was spotless in the second half of the double billing, shutting out Nichols across seven innings with four punchouts. First year Molly Medor (Highgate, Vt.) struck out three while allowing eight base runners in six innings of work for the visitors.

After a scoreless first four innings, Wellesley got all the offense it needed in the form of two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.) led off with a double and quickly scored on a right center single from sophomore Alena Mulhern (Kingston, Mass.). After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt, Mulhern came home on a sacrifice fly to right by Gaunce. 

Neither team scored in the final inning and a half, with Young completing the shutout with two strikeouts in the final half inning.

Next up, Wellesley will start NEWMAC season at Clark University with a 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday, March 29. Nichols plays that same date and time when it welcomes Western New England University.