May 2, 2009

Final Stats

LAKE CHARLES, La. - Nicholls softball dropped a pair of one run games at McNeese State on Saturday afternoon, losing the first 2-1 and falling in the second 3-2 at Cowgirl Diamond.

The Colonels (30-24, 14-15) dropped the first game 2-1 to the Cowgirls (28-26, 19-10) with junior Lacey Gros getting the loss. Gros only surrendered two runs - one earned - on three hits while fanning five. Bethany Stefinsky, Gros' counterpart, got the win by limiting Nicholls to two hits and striking out 12.

Stefinsky improved to 17-14 on the season, while Gros fell to 16-15.

The scoreless affair was broken up in the bottom of the fifth when the Cowgirls put a two-spot on the scoreboard. The first of the runs came on a bases loaded walk, while the second score was credited to a passed ball.

The score remained 2-0 until the top of the seventh when junior Audrey Wood hit a RBI single to right field to plate senior Kodi Butler from second. Butler led off the inning with a walk. Unfortunately, that is as close as the Colonels would come, losing 2-1. Wood led the Colonels with a 1-for-3 showing that included a RBI.

The second game had to be decided in extras, going all the way to the ninth inning before McNeese State took the 3-2 decision on a bases loaded walk.

Nicholls led off the game with a two-spot in the first inning, but could not manufacture any more past that point as they left 11 runners on base. The first of the runs came on a RBI single by Danielle Clayton that plated true freshman Megan Gaspard from third. The final run of the inning came on a fielder's choice by junior Lyndsay Mesh that scored Wood.

McNeese State tied it up in bottom of the second with a two-run homer by Katie Shumaker. Neither two would score through seven complete, sending it to extras. The Cowgirls scored a run in the ninth to take the game and the series.

Leading the Colonels in the loss was Wood with a 3-for-4 mark at the plate that included a run. Wood was also pegged with the loss, tossing 8.2 innings while allowing three runs on three hits. Wood fell to 14-9 on the season.

The series finale will be played tomorrow at Cowgirl Diamond with first pitch set for 1 p.m.

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