CONWAY, Ark. – After dropping game one of Sunday's doubleheader against first-place Central Arkansas, 11-4, the Nicholls State University softball team used an outstanding pitching performance by Hannah Haydel out of the bullpen and Alexis Huss delivered the game-winning hit in extra innings as the Colonels handed UCA its first loss in Southland play with a 6-5 win in eight innings on Sunday at Farris Field.
 
With the split, the Colonels (18-13, 6-6 SLC) stay in sixth place in the Southland standings, while Central Arkansas (23-9, 11-1 SLC) is in a three-way tie in first. Nicholls will take on Alcorn State in a doubleheader on the road on Tuesday before hosting McNeese State for a three-game set starting Friday.
 
Game 1 – Central Arkansas 11, Nicholls 4
 
UCA jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first inning and never looked back, clinching the series with an 11-4 victory.
 
Nicholls was held to seven hits in the loss, led by two each from Alexis Huss and Kayla Prater. Both players accounted for all four runs, highlighted by Prater's 2-run home run in the second inning. Huss drove in the other two runs, both on sacrifice flies.
 
Taylor Hastings (3-2) suffered the loss after being chased away in the second inning. Hastings allowed five runs, all in the first, while giving up three hits and five walks. Hannah Haydel pitched the rest of the game, surrendering six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings.
 
UCA had 10 hits in the game, led by Jessie Taylor who was 4-for-4 with six RBIs. Kylee Studioso improved  her record to a conference best 19-4, striking out eight batters in seven innings.
 
Game 2 – Nicholls 6, Central Arkansas 5 (8 innings)
 
With the game tied at 5-all in extra innings, Jessica Taylor singled to lead off the seventh and Alexis Huss brought her home on a double down the left field line as the Colonels knocked off UCA, 6-5.
 
While Nicholls had 13 hits in the win, led by Brooke Morris' 3-for-4 outing, Hannah Haydel (11-6) shutdown the Sugar Bears on offense, allowing only three hits in 4.2 innings of relief. After UCA scored four runs in the third to even the score at 5-5, Haydel came into pitch with the bases loaded and one out. She went on to retire the next two batters, which included one of her eight strikeouts.
 
The teams each scored a run in the first, and the Colonels exploded for four in the second to go up 5-1. Cari Spain brought home the first run on an RBI groundout, and Haley Parkerson and Morris added RBI singles before Nicholls capped the inning with a run on an error.
 
In the third, UCA recorded four hits off Taylor Hastings, leading to four runs. Sarah Bigej had a 2-run single, Briana Whisenhunt scored on a double steal and Jessie Taylor brought a run home with a single up the middle to tie the game. But Haydel was able to limit the damage to keep the score at 5-all.
 
The Colonels had a chance in the fourth, loading the bases with no outs, but UCA made a great play as Hannah Stirton threw out Jessica Taylor at home trying to score on a fly out to left. For then on, both pitchers took control as neither team scored until the final inning.
 
Jessica Taylor singled to second off UCA starter Shivaun Landeros (4-5) to start the extra frame and moved over a base on a sac bunt by Parkerson. After Morris was retired for only the second time in the game, Huss belted the first pitch from Landeros to left to plate the game-winning run. In the bottom of the eighth, Haydel picked up three swinging strikeouts to end the game.
 
Along with Morris, Parkerson, Spain and Taylor had multi-hit games. UCA had nine hits, led by Whisenhunt's 3-for-4 day.