THIBODAUX, La. – After winning the Lion Classic in their opening weekend, the Nicholls State University softball team will play in front of its home crowd for the first time this season with a matchup against Southern University on Wednesday night. First pitch at the Colonel Softball Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
The Colonel home opener will serve as Student Appreciation Night. The first 50 students in attendance will receive a voucher for free hot dogs and nachos from the concession stand, sponsored by the Student Government Association.
 
The Colonels (4-1) already had a look at Southern (0-1) as the teams squared off in the opening game of the Lion Classic on Friday. Nicholls had little trouble in putting away the Lady Jaguars, exploding for 15 runs on 18 hits in a 15-0 mercy-rule victory. The Red and Gray led 7-0 heading into the fifth before scoring eight runs in the final frame.
 
Leading the Colonels at the plate for the weekend was sophomore Haley Stevenson, who batted .571 in the classic with eight hits and three RBIs. Stevenson had a career day against Southern, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Freshman Payton Gremillion also put together a solid weekend, collecting six hits with a double. Kayla Prater and Alexis Huss rounded out the leaders at the plate with five hits each. Prater drove in a team-high six runs while Huss recorded the Colonels' first home run of the season.
 
While Nicholls had a team batting average of .308, the pitching may have been more impressive as the staff combined for a 1.06 ERA, a .147 opposing batting average and allowed two or less runs in all four of the Colonels' wins. The staff also had two shutouts, one in the Southern game and the other coming against Texas-Arlington of the Sun Belt Conference.
 
Hannah Haydel notched two victories in the circle, tossing 11 innings with five strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA. Jackie Johnson went 1-1 with 11 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA. Johnson also picked up a save in the Colonels' 3-2 win over Tennessee-Martin.
 
Southern, under first-year head coach John Garris, was held to two hits in the loss to the Colonels, getting singles by Jamani Greer and Bailey Rankin.
 
Following Wednesday night's game, the Colonels will head to Birmingham, Ala. to take part in the Samford Invitational.