Final Stats

MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama used four hits in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead and never looked back as it claimed a season sweep of the Nicholls State University softball team with a 10-1 five-inning victory on Tuesday evening at Jaguar Field.

Nicholls drops to 8-22 on the year, while South Alabama (24-9) extends its winning streak to seven games. The Colonels will have a quick turnaround, playing LSU on Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

The Colonels were held to five hits in the loss, led by a 2-for-3 day by Ashley Bertot. Megan Gaspard, Paige Miller and Alaina Guidry had a hit each for Nicholls.

Rachael Hugghins, making her third start of the season, took the loss, giving up three earned runs in 3.1 innings of work. Hugghins was charged for eight runs total, but an error in the second by Bertot helped extend the inning, allowing the Jaguars to plate five extra runs for a 6-0 lead.

Still down 6-0 in the fourth, the Colonels surrendered five hits to USA as the Jaguars scored four in the frame to break the game open.

In their final at-bat, Nicholls loaded the bases with two down but could only push across one run. After Leah Andrus was hit by a pitch for the Colonels' lone run, USA's Jessica Dobson forced Ashley Ray into a fielder's choice to end the game in five innings.

Victoria Hugghins came out of the bullpen for the Colonels, tossing 0.2 innings with one strikeout. She gave up two earned runs on two hits.