March 30, 2008

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - The Colonels used a two-run fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie as they went on to defeat the Roadrunners 4-2 on Sunday afternoon in the Colonel Softball Complex.

Nicholls (17-20, 7-8) scored all four of their runs off of five hits while only committing one fielding error throughout the course of the game, while UTSA (18-15, 13-5) recorded just two runs on eight hits while leaving seven runners on base.

"I thought that we did a good job of getting runners in as opposed to yesterday when we left a lot of runners stranded," said head coach Jenny Parsons. "Krystalin [Ensminger] also hit her spots when it was most important and our defense backed her up."

Senior Krystalin Ensminger went the distance allowing eight hits and two runs (one earned) while fanning five and only walking two. Ensminger improved to 6-10 on the season.

Her counterpart Amanda Nikolenko was credited with the loss falling to 10-8 on the season after yielding five hits and four runs (three earned) through the course of six innings.

Both teams added runs in the top of the first with the Colonels' score coming by way of a heads up play by senior Kat Harrell who quickly turned the corner at third after Roadrunners first baseman Krista Sitka mishandled Mercedes Hessel's throw on a groundball hit by sophomore Audrey Wood. Harrell slid into home plate head first ahead of the tag to tie the game up 1-1.

The score remained tied until the fifth inning when Nicholls loaded up the bases for Harrell who singled to left field to bring home sophomore Karla Troxler from third to give the Colonels a 2-1 lead. Junior Kodi Butler followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought home true freshman Tori Lay to give Nicholls the 3-1 edge.

The Colonels added another run in the fifth on a solo shot over the centerfield fence by Wood. Wood, who hit her first career homerun yesterday, hit a combined 4-for-9 in the series against UTSA that included two homeruns, two doubles, four runs and five RBIs.

Other standouts at the plate included Harrell who went 2-for-3 in the win on Sunday with a run scored. Harrell now stands second in Nicholls record books with 218 career hits and 39 career doubles. Others making their mark in the batter's box were senior Amy Thibodeaux, junior Nicole Smith, and Wood as each of them finished 1-for-3.

The Colonels will be back in action on Wednesday at home when they face South Alabama (17-16, 3-5 Sun Belt) in a midweek doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. while both games can be followed live statistically on the internet via GameTracker at www.geauxcolonels.com.

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