Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

MACON, Ga. - Nicholls suffered a 4-2 loss in their first match up of the day to host school Mercer, but closed out the Wingate Inn Classic Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Sun Belt Conference member Western Kentucky.

Seniors Kat Harrell and Rachel Pugh and junior Kodi Butler were named to the All-Tournament team for their roles in leading Nicholls to a 2-1 record in the classic.

"We really didn't show up this morning against Mercer as we didn't play our best brand of ball, but we bounced back and beat a really good Western Kentucky team. Krystalin (Ensminger) pitched a great game against Western Kentucky and our bats came around," said head coach Jenny Parsons.

In the Colonels' victory over the Hilltoppers, Nicholls started the scoring early as they put two runs on the scoreboard in the first inning via a two-run homerun to deep leftfield by senior Amy Thibodeaux that scored Butler who singled in her at bat. Thibodeaux finished the game 2-for-3 while Harrell was 2-for-4.

Western Kentucky (6-3) got one back in their half of the first inning to make the score 2-1. However, Nicholls (5-7) wasn't done as Harrell hit a double in the top of the second that scored sophomore's Nicole Smith and Audrey Wood to give the Colonels the 4-1 lead that senior Krystalin Ensminger never relinquished in the circle.

After Ensminger gave up one run in the first, she settled down and in the process shut out the Hilltoppers the rest of the way by allowing only six hits in seven innings of work while fanning two batters.

In the first game that the Colonels suffered a 4-2 loss to the Bears, senior Jessica Barksdale was credited with the loss as she fell to 0-3 on the season. Barksdale threw five innings, yielded six hits, allowed three earned runs, and recorded four strike outs.

Leading the way for the Colonels at the plate was Pugh as she finished 2-for-3 with a double, while sophomores Leah Bland and Karla Troxler, and freshman Tori Lay all had a stolen base.

Nicholls will play at Southeastern La. to kickoff Southland Conference play this Tuesday at 5 p.m. followed by a 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. match on Wednesday to close out the series.