Final Stats 1 | Final Stats 2 THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University softball team took the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against Sam Houston State, 5-3, and went on to win the series with a 9-1 walkoff victory in five innings at the Colonel Softball Complex.
 
With the sweep, Nicholls improved to 16-11 overall and 3-2 in league play, while Sam Houston slipped to 6-17 and 1-5. The Colonels will return to action on Tuesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. as they take on No. 4 LSU at Tiger Park.
 
Game 1 – Nicholls 5, Sam Houston 3
 
Leading by a run, Nicholls allowed three to cross the plate in the third before responding immediately with three in the bottom half en route to a 5-3 win over Sam Houston.
 
Two hits led to a run in the second for Nicholls, but Sam Houston took the lead when Breanna Homer drove in three on a double off the wall to dead center. The Colonels answered with four hits in the third to make the score 4-3. Alexis Huss started the scoring with an RBI single up the middle, and Jessica Taylor brought home two on a double to right center.
 
Megan Landry (8-5) pitched five innings, leaving the game after walking the first batter in the sixth. Hannah Haydel came in for relief, and after allowing a single against her first batter, she retired the next three to keep the Bearkats off the board.
 
The Colonels would add one more in the sixth as Haley Parkerson singled to left with two outs to score pinch runner Cari Spain. Haydel sat down the Bearkats in order in the seventh to earn her first save of the season.
 
Nicholls finished with seven hits, getting two each from Parkerson and Taylor. Landry allowed three earned on six hits, while Haydel gave up the lone hit in two innings.
 
Lindsey McLeod (3-4) took the loss for Sam Houston, giving up four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. Dani Allen and Tiffany Castillo led the Bearkats with two hits each.
 
Game 2 – Nicholls 9, Sam Houston 1
 
The Colonels scored six runs in the third to take a commanding lead over Sam Houston and Amanda Gianelloni ended the game in the fifth with a 2-run single as Nicholls earned a doubleheader sweep over the Bearkats with a 9-1 mercy-rule victory.
 
Nicholls pounded out 14 hits in the win, with eight coming in the decisive third inning. Kasey Frederick led off with a single, and Danielle Phillips and Amanda Gianelloni followed with bunt singles. With the bases loaded, Alexis Huss found a seam through the left side to give the Colonels a 2-1 lead.
 
A base hit by Kristen Ahearn put the score at 3-1, and Gretchen Morgan added two more on a single to left. Frederick, who led off the frame, ended the scoring with her second single of the inning.
 
Sam Houston had a chance to cut into the deficit in the fourth, using two hits and a walk to load the bases with one out against Hannah Haydel (8-5). Haydel took the care of the second out herself as she stepped on home after fielding a dribbler in front of the plate. She then got Emily Bounds to ground to Gianelloni at short, who fired it to Brooke Morris for a force at second.
 
In the Colonel fifth, Morris singled with one out and pinch-hitter Moriah Strother drew a walk. Phillips followed with a single to make the score 7-1, and Gianelloni ripped a single down the left field line, bringing in two for the walkoff victory.
 
Haydel continued her outstanding senior campaign, allowing one earned run on four hits. She finished with one strikeout and walked three.
 
Five Colonels recorded multi-hit games, led by Huss' 3-for-3 day. Frederick, Phillips, Gianelloni and Ahearn all finished with two hits each.
 
Taylor Atkinson (3-8) was tagged with the loss, lasting 2.0 innings with four earned runs on six hits. Katie Doerre led the Bearkat offense with two hits.