THIBODAUX, La. – After posting a 13-9 record in non-conference action, the Nicholls State University softball team will begin Southland play this weekend with two games at Stephen F. Austin.
The series was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, but was pushed back due to rain. One game has been canceled and Sunday's doubleheader will start at 2 p.m., with live stats available on geauxcolonels.com.
Nicholls has had a successful start to the 2016 season as they enter conference play with the fifth-best winning percentage in the Southland at .591. This weekend's opponent, SFA, went 9-12 to start the season and is winners of its last two contests.
The Colonels have been solid in the circle and at the plate. The offense ranks fourth in the Southland in batting average (.294) and is third in runs scored (105). The Colonels' pitching staff has been dominant, leading the SLC with a 2.17 ERA and 118 strikeouts, while ranking second with a .220 opposing batting average.
The offense has been paced by freshman shortstop
Amanda Gianelloni, who has a team-best .379 batting average and is tied with
Alexis Huss with 17 RBIs. Gianelloni and Huss are two of three Colonels, joined by
Brooke Morris, who have six games of two-or-more hits. Huss is second on the team in batting at .343, followed by
Haley Parkerson with a .333 average. Parkerson had a hot start to last weekend's Mean Green Spring Fling, going 6-for-11 in the Colonels' three wins.
In the circle, it's been senior
Hannah Haydel and freshman
Megan Landry handling the work load. Haydel has a 7-4 record and leads the Southland in ERA (1.59), while ranking second in strikeouts (58) and opponent batting average (.203). Landry is third in ERA (1.89) and strikeouts (56), and posts the sixth-best opponent BA (.226). She has a team-high seven victories and has two shutouts on the year.
SFA is coming off a 10-1 six-inning victory over Texas Tech. The Ladyjacks received six RBIs from Taylor Fraccastoro, which were fueled by two home runs. Although SFA ranks last in the league in batting (.240), Fraccastoro has been one of the Southland's top hitters with a .390 average.
The pitching staff has a 4.52 collective ERA, helped by a complete game effort from Callee Guffey against the Red Raiders. Callee is one of three 'Jacks with at least two wins in the circle, with Brittany Lewis leading the way with a 5-2 record and a 3.44 ERA.
Nicholls took the three-game series last season in Thibodaux, bouncing back from a loss in the opener to take the next two. After dropping the first game 7-4, the Colonels rallied to earn a pair of walk-off victories, winning 8-7 (8 innings) and 2-1.
