THIBODAUX, La.  – After going winless in its first five conference games, the Nicholls State University softball team heads to Sam Houston State looking to notch its first Southland victory as the Colonels take on the Bearkats in a three-game series, starting Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

The Colonels (8-22, 0-5) saw their losing streak extend to seven games after their midweek 9-0 loss to LSU. Nicholls was held to one hit in the setback, and it gave the Colonels their second consecutive five-inning loss at home. Last weekend, Nicholls was swept in its rain-shortened two-game conference series against Lamar.

With 30 games in the books, the Colonels are batting .246, led by three players with .300 or better averages. Senior catcher Brittany Marcet is leading the team at .325 and 18 RBIs, while freshman Taylor Terrio, who had the Colonels' lone hit against LSU, is next at .311. Sophomore Colleen Levy is at .310 on the year, and she and Marcet have combined for six of Nicholls' nine home runs.

In the circle, head coach Angel Santiago has used freshman Jackie Johnson and sophomore Hannah Haydel as his primary starters. Haydel (5.61 ERA, 42 strikeouts) saw her record fall to 1-8 after her loss against LSU, and Johnson heads the staff with a 6-12 record, 2.56 ERA and 85 strikeouts.

Sam Houston (12-13, 2-4) inched back towards .500 after winning its last two games. The Bearkats avoided a sweep in their last conference series, winning 9-6 in the final game against Southeastern Louisiana. On Tuesday, they picked up a 7-3 win over Texas Southern, which defeated Nicholls in its 2014 season opener, 11-6.

The Bearkats are led at the plate by Tori Koerselman (.382) and Tayler Gray (.380). Gray has 30 hits on the year, six home runs and is one of six players with double figures in RBIs, ranking second on the team with 17.

Sam Houston has used three starters in the circle. Haley Baros has a 5-6 record and a team-best 3.24 ERA. Shelby Lancaster posts a 5.13 ERA with a 2-4 mark, and Meme Quinn is 3-2 with a 6.23 ERA.

Sam Houston swept the three-game series last year in Huntsville, but two of the wins were decided by one run. Dating back to 2011, the Colonels have lost six straight to the Bearkats.