Worcester, Mass. – Visiting Nichols College got an outstanding pitching performance from Ryan McLane (Wallingford, Conn.), outdueling Clark University's Michael Mainuli (Glastonbury, Conn.) and the Bison came out on top, posting a 2-1 win over the Cougars on Tuesday afternoon.

McLane picked up his first collegiate win in the contest, scattering four hits while striking out seven, helping Nichols improve to 3-9.

Mainuli (1-3), meanwhile, turned out to be the tough-luck loser despite tossing what could be considered the best outing of his collegiate career. He hurled his second career complete game, allowing just three hits and two earned runs while striking out four.

Neither team mustered much offense until the third when Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) drew a one-out walk and stole second when Mainuli struck out Nick Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.) swinging.

With two outs in the inning, John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) singled to left and Cody Jankins (Brookfield, Mass.) drove in Gill with a base hit to center, making the score 1-0.

Clark answered back in the fourth, knotting the score when Michael Eglow (Delmar, N.Y.) led off the frame with a double to center and came around to score on a Brian Sullivan (Auburn, Mass.) single to right.

After his run producing base hit in the fourth, Sullivan might have saved a run in the sixth with his glove. Micciche led off the inning with a grounder deep in the hole at short, but Sullivan was able to make a diving stop and fire to first for the first out. Then, with a runner on first and two outs, Shayne McNally (Auburn, Mass.) – Sullivan's high school teammate - sent another ball into the hole in between third and short but Sullivan was again able to corral it and fire across the diamond for the inning's final out.

Nichols pushed across the go ahead run in the seventh when Brady Boisvert (Plainfield, N.H.) blasted a deep drive to center that found the triangle and when the dust cleared he was standing on third with a triple.

Mainuli was able to get Brett Franciosi (Leominster, Mass.) to groundout to third, but Kyle Russell (Yarmouth, Mass.) sent a shallow fly to center and Boisvert beat the throw home to give the Bison a 2-1 lead.

Clark threatened to even the score in the bottom of the ninth when pinch hitter Austin Knief (Scarsdale, N.Y.) singled to left putting runners on the corners with two outs.

Tyler Shute (Mashpee, Mass.), who entered into the game with two outs in the ninth, struck out pinch hitter Mitch DeLorenzo (Berlin, Conn.) to end the game and earn the save.

Nicholas O'Brien (Potomac, Md.) was the only player on either team to get more than one hit, collecting two of Clark's six hits.

The Cougars (4-13), who have now dropped seven straight games, will look to return to the win column on Friday when they begin a three-game NEWMAC series at Coast Guard. Nichols, meanwhile, travels to Curry for a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader on Saturday.