Game One Box
Game Two Box

THIBODAUX – The Nicholls State University softball team earned a split in their doubleheader against conference-leading Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday at the Colonel Softball Complex, taking game one 4-0 before falling in nine innings, 11-8, in the second contest.

Nicholls (8-15, 2-5 SLC) took the opener behind a complete game shutout from Ashton Bennett to notch her fifth win of the year. The sophomore from Baton Rouge threw seven innings, giving up just four hits while striking out three. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (25-7, 9-2 SLC) came into the matchup leading the conference with a .317 team batting average.

As impressive as Bennett was in the circle, Katie Holmes played just as well at the plate. Holmes fueled the Colonel offense, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs. Mandy Granger and Bennett added two hits apiece.

In the second outing, Nicholls led for most of the game until the Islanders plated three runs in the sixth to lead 8-7. The Colonels came back to even the score in the seventh before falling in extra innings, 11-8.

“We're just a young team trying to find a way to score runs,” said head coach Jenny Parsons. “We keep leaving bases loaded, but we gave ourselves a chance to win that game. I'm proud of how we played today, proud of how we pitched. Hopefully tomorrow we can come out and do the same thing and swing the bat throughout the lineup.”

The Colonels pounded out 23 hits on the day which included their first triple of the season as Tori Lay legged one out in the second inning of game one. Holmes would bring in Lay on a single to make the count 1-0 Nicholls.

Bennett helped herself out in the fourth, lacing a double before being brought in on Holmes' second hit of the game. In the fifth, Granger, Brittany Marcet, and Bennett all had singles to load the bases with one out. Holmes came through once again with a single to left, plating two runs to push the lead to 4-0.

Bennett gave up a hit in each of the first four innings, but would shut down the Islanders the rest of the way. The win was her sixth complete game and the team's first shutout of the year.

For the second contest, Lay finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Lauren Jolivette had three hits while Bennett and Lauren Batiz added two each. Holmes drove in a pair while Tsade Joubert had a bases loaded clearing double in the second frame.

Carlee Winklemann fell to 1-5 on the year, giving up eight earned on 14 hits in 8.1 innings.

The Colonels chased Islander starter Vianca Pesina, who came into the weekend with a 2.00 ERA, after just two innings. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the second, Nicholls scored four to take the lead. Along with Joubert's three-RBI hit, Jolivette added a RBI double as well.

Both teams scored three runs each over the next two innings before TAMU-CC rallied in the sixth to grab an 8-7 lead. However, the Colonels tied the game in the seventh on a sac fly by Holmes.

In the ninth, the Islanders put their leadoff runner on after the Colonels' fourth error of the game. TAMU-CC would string together three hits to score three runs, and the Islanders then retired Nicholls in order to earn a split with an 11-8 victory.

Sunday's rubber match at the Colonel Softball Complex is set for 12 p.m. Live audio and live stats will be available courtesy of geauxcolonels.com and ThibodauxOnline.com.