Softball Game Preview: Nardin Academy Gators vs. Nichols Vikings

Nardin Academy has gone a perfect 10-0 against Nichols recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Gators will be playing in front of their home fans against the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Nardin Academy gave up the first runs on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 7-3 victory over St. Mary's.

Abigail McGrath spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.

Addison Cherry

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/04/25 @ St. Mary's	2
05/21/24 vs St. Mary's	1
05/13/24 vs Bishop Kearney	1
04/24/24 vs Mount St. Mary Academy	1
04/22/24 vs Sacred Heart Academy	1

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Addison Cherry, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (two). Kara Krupski was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Nichols had to kick off their season on the road on Friday, but they showed no ill effects. Everything went their way against East Aurora as they made off with a 13-5 win.

Reyes Rodriguez made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Rodriguez was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.

In other batting news, Annabelle Berke and Brynn Bacak did most of the damage at the plate: Berke scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Bacak scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabrielle Chebat, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Nardin Academy took their victory against Nichols when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Gators have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.