CONWAY, Ark.  – An RBI single by Haley Parkerson in the top of the seventh gave the Nicholls State University softball team a one-run lead over Central Arkansas, but the Sugar Bears strung together three hits in the bottom half to remain undefeated in Southland play with a 4-3 walk-off victory at Farris Field.
 
The series will conclude on Sunday with a doubleheader scheduled for noon.
 
The series opener featured two of the Southland's top pitchers, and neither would disappoint. Nicholls (17-12, 5-5 SLC) was able to jump on Kylee Studioso early as the Colonels scored two runs in the first, but was unable to get anything going again until the seventh. For the Colonels, Hannah Haydel (10-6) held UCA in check until a two-run fifth tied the game up.
 
In the seventh, Kristen Ahearn led off the inning for Nicholls with a double down the right field line and she would move over to third on a wild pitch. With one out, Parkerson delivered the potential game-winning hit to give Nicholls a 3-2 lead.
 
But in the bottom half, UCA's Sam Forrest, who homered in the fifth to spark UCA's two-run frame, led off the seventh with a single and Sarah Bigej came through with a one-out base hit to put two on. Down to a 0-2 count against Haydel, Jessica Taylor singled to left to bring home both runners for the walk-off win.
 
Haydel suffered the loss for Nicholls, pitching 6.1 innings with four earned runs on eight hits. Haydel struck  out five batters and walked three. Her counterpart, Studioso (18-4), tossed all seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and struck out six.
 
Parkerson and Brooke Morris led Nicholls at the plate with two hits each. Morris' triple in the first brought in the Colonels' first run and she made it 2-0 after coming home on a double steal.