DENTON, Texas – After being held to just one hit through six innings, the Nicholls State University softball team scored two runs in the seventh against North Texas but left the bases loaded as they were defeated, 3-2, in the finale of Mean Green Spring Fling on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Colonels (13-9) had four hits in the final frame, started by a single by Brooke Morris, who had Nicholls' lone hit prior to the seventh. Morris' hit ended a streak of 17-straight retired batters by North Texas starter Jessica Elder, sparking the Colonels' late comeback.
 
Alexis Huss followed with a one-out single through the right side and Gretchen Morgan loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch.  Jessica Taylor came in to pinch hit and delivered a RBI single to left to make the score 3-1.
 
North Texas (12-6) went to the bullpen, bringing in Lauren Craine, and the Colonels greeted her with another run-scoring single, this time by Kasey Frederick. With the bases loaded and one out, Craine picked up a huge strikeout as Haley Stevenson went down swinging. The next batter, Kayla Prater, sent a shot to center field, but it was caught for the last out.
 
Megan Landry (7-4) took the loss for the Colonels, lasting 4.2 innings with three earned runs and five strikeouts. After tossing a scoreless first, Landry gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Danielle Gregory and Harley Parella to start the second. UNT added another run in the third on a two-out RBI single by Gregory.
 
Elder (7-2) picked up the win for the Mean Green, tossing 6.1 innings with four hits and three strikeouts. Craine earned the save after recording the final two outs.
 
Nicholls will host Southern University on Wednesday, March 9 at the Colonel Softball Complex at 6 p.m.