April 6, 2008

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - The Colonels prevailed Sunday 9-5 over the Demons in the NCHS Complex to pick up their second SLC sweep of the season. In the win, senior Amy Thibodeaux blasted her 12th homerun to tie the school's single season mark set in 2007 by junior Danielle Clayton.

"I am very proud of the team in how they competed. It is important for us to build on this success," said head coach Jenny Parsons. "The whole team is excited for Amy [Thibodeaux] and her accomplishment, and we are a better team when she is driving in runs."

The Colonels (22-20, 10-8) took a 1-0 lead in the top of third when Clayton double to left center to score junior Kodi Butler all the way from first. Clayton tried to extend her double into a triple, but was thrown out at third to clear the bases for sophomore Audrey Wood who lined out to left field to end the inning.

The Demons (7-34, 3-17) fired back with two runs in their half of the third to take the 2-1 lead on a two RBI single by Amanda Jameson to center field that brought home Ainsley Pellerin and Randi Stuard. Like Clayton, Jameson got greedy in search of an extra base and was thrown out at second after sophomore catcher Nicole Smith gunned her down.

Northwestern State extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth when senior Krystalin Ensminger allowed a bases loaded walk before getting Stuard to ground out to end the inning with the Demons on top 3-1.

With Northwestern State holding on strong to their first lead of the entire series, Nicholls' bats game alive with a seven run fifth inning to retake the lead, 8-3. Powering the inning were back-to-back singles by Butler and Clayton before Wood knocked in Butler with a RBI single centerfield to score Butler. Thibodeaux followed up with a walk to load the bases, and despite Smith's follow up ground out, she still brought home Clayton from third to tie the score at three apiece.

The Colonels extended the inning after sophomore Lacey Gros smacked a two RBI double to leftfield to bring home sophomore Karla Troxler who was pinch running for Thibodeaux and Wood to take the 5-3 lead. Following up Gros was senior Rachel Pugh with a RBI single to score Gros. Nicholls turned over the batting order in the inning as they went on to score three more runs in light of Demon errors and walks to take a healthy 8-3 lead.

Northwestern State responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 8-5. However, the Colonels added an insurance run in the sixth on a solo shot by Thibodeaux which tied her for the single season mark held by Clayton. Thibodeaux now has 28 career homeruns and is currently one away from tying Karen Allen for the most all-time in school history.

Dubbed with the win in the circle was Ensminger as she threw 4.1 innings allowing five runs on three hits while striking out three and walking four. Of the five runs she allowed, only one of them was earned as she improved to 7-10 on the season.

Standing out at the plate were Clayton and Wood as each had two hits with Clayton finishing 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run while Wood was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run. Butler, Thibodeaux, Gros, Smith and Pugh each had a hit in the win as well.

Nicholls will be back in action this Wednesday at home against Southern. Game time is set for 5 p.m. in the lone midweek contest.

#####