HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Junior Hannah Haydel had another magnificent outing in the circle and the Colonels scored three runs in fifth as the Nicholls State University softball team took game one against Sam Houston State, 5-2, on Friday night.
 
Nicholls (15-7, 3-1 SLC) and Sam Houston (7-16, 0-4 SLC) will wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch in scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
The Colonels had nine hits in the win, getting two each from Brooke Morris, Danielle Phillips and Laura Neil. In the circle, Haydel (8-3) scattered seven hits in her complete game and struck out seven. The victory was Haydel's fourth in her last five appearances.
 
The Bearkats scored in the first, taking advantage of leadoff walk issued by Haydel. Sarah Allison gave Sam Houston the early lead with a RBI single to center.
 
In the top of the second, Neil homered for the second time this season to even the score at 1-1. But Sam Houston returned the favor in the third with a solo shot by Tiffany Castillo.
 
Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Nicholls tallied three hits and took advantage of two errors to go up 4-2. Freshman Kimmie Rodriguez started the scoring for Nicholls with her first career home run, tying the game at 2-all. Peyton Gremillion singled and scored on a two-base error and Kayla Prater capped the inning with an RBI single to center.
 
After Nicholls added an unearned run in the seventh, Sam Houston started their final at-bat with a pair of singles to put two on with no outs. Haydel then fanned the next two batters before loading the bases with a hit-by-pitch. But Haydel ended the game with her third swinging strikeout to extend the Colonels' winning streak to three games.
 
Castillo led Sam Houston with two hits and Meme Quinn (3-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits.