Final Stats

CONWAY, Ark. – Central Arkansas used back-to-back home runs to spark a four-run opening at-bat and held the Nicholls State University softball team to just one run on a solo shot by Leah Andrus as the Colonels fell, 4-1, against UCA on Friday night at Farris Field.

The Colonels (9-24, 4-5) and UCA (30-17, 6-7) will wrap up the series on Saturday at noon. The finale can be listened to at ThibodauxOnline.com.

Nicholls finished with six hits on the day, led by Ashley Bertot and Alaina Guidry with two hits each. Bertot hit safely in her first two at-bats to give her six consecutive hits, but was retired in the fifth. Andrus' solo shot to left in the sixth was her second in as many games.

After giving up four runs on four hits in the first, sophomore Katie Moulder (4-12) bounced back by holding the Southland's top offense to just two hits the rest of the way. Moulder notched her 11th complete game of the season, but the Colonel bats could only muster the lone run against UCA's Kelsie Armstrong.

Down 4-0 in the third, the Colonels threatened to cut into the deficit after Rachel Moore led off the frame with a double to left. With one out, Nicholls loaded the bases on singles by Guidry and Bertot, but Armstrong forced a lineout double play to escape the inning.

Nicholls finally broke through on Andrus' homer in the sixth, but Armstrong sat the Colonels down in order in the seventh to give UCA the opener, 4-1.

Armstrong (18-10) tossed all seven innings, finishing with five strikeouts. The UCA offense was led by Tiffany Roby with two hits, while Nicole Beals and Lissa Avitia had the leadoff homers for the Sugar Bears.