Vikings
| 05/09/25 vs Depew | 9 |
| 05/08/25 vs St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute | 5 |
| 05/06/25 vs St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute | 0 |
| 04/30/25 @ Canisius | 8 |
| 04/29/25 vs Canisius | 3 |
| + 8 more games |
Nichols is 2-8 against St. Francis since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Vikings will venture away from home to face off against the Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m. Nichols is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
While Nichols' victory against Depew wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Vikings skirted past the Wildcats 9-8. The win continues a trend for the Vikings in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won three in a row.
Max Zlotnick was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Trenton Ruffolo, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one double. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Dominic Ferlito, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask St. Francis). Everything went their way against Dunkirk on Saturday as they made off with a 14-1 victory. The Red Raiders not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since April 29, 2024 (when they won 19-0).
Like Nichols, St. Francis also got a great game from a two-way player: Ryan Forringer. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Forringer was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that he has brought in this season.
In other pitching news, Cam Bush looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits.
Back at the plate, James O'Brien was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He also put up two hits, which were his first of the season. Aidan Curran was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
St. Francis always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dunkirk only posted an OBP of .280.
St. Francis' win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-9-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Nichols, their record is now 9-4.
Nichols' speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's matchup. The Vikings have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for St. Francis, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Nichols continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Nichols' way against St. Francis in their previous meeting back in April, as Nichols made off with an 11-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
