The Nichols Vikings will take on the Canisius Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Nichols will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Nichols' pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past St. Francis 11-0. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won five matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Ross Yoshida made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Dominic Bernardone
| 04/23/25 vs St. Francis | 3 |
| 04/14/25 vs Jamestown | 2 |
| 04/27/24 @ Sweet Home | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Kenmore West | 1 |
| 04/02/25 vs Geneva | 1 |
In other batting news, Nichols got a big performance out of Dominic Bernardone, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and three runs. Those three runs gave Bernardone a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kasey Kohler, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one stolen base.
Nichols always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Canisius came up short against Hamburg on Saturday and fell 10-7.
David Barczak was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Joshua Monti, who went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Nichols' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Canisius, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Nichols has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .453. However, it's not like Canisius struggles in that department as they've averaged .477. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Nichols couldn't quite get it done against Canisius in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 6-1. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
