Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Down two runs after five innings against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Nicholls softball team rallied with a run in the sixth and seven innings to send the game into extras and senior Ashton Bennett drove in the game-winning run in the ninth as the Colonels swept the Islanders with a 3-2 victory Sunday at Chapman Field.

The sweep was the first for Nicholls (22-24, 12-11) in conference play this season, setting up a huge final series next weekend at home against first-place McNeese State. The Colonels are currently in fifth place in the standings, holding the tiebreaker against Southeastern. With only six teams qualifying for the Southland Conference Tournament, Lamar is on the outside looking in, trailing both teams by 1.5 games.

In the win, the Colonels were held to six hits on the day, including just one in the first five innings. Courtney Vanlandingham and Brittany Marcet, who both finished with two hits, recorded singles in the sixth which led to the Colonels first run. In the seventh, two errors by the Islanders (9-38, 4-18) allowed the tying run to cross the plate.

In the ninth, Danielle Phillips and Alaina Guidry led off the frame with singles, and moved to third and second on a sacrifice bunt by Colleen Levy. Bennett, who started the game in the circle allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings of work, drove in the winning run on a groundout.

Freshman Hannah Haydel, who came in for relief in the seventh, pitched three innings of hitless ball to earn the win. Haydel had one strikeout and improved to 9-9 on the year.

The Colonels' season finale against McNeese will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 4. Saturday will serve as the Colonels' Strike Out Cancer Day, benefiting the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at TGMC. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.