LAKE CHARLES, La. – The series between the top two teams in the Southland Conference standings lived up to the hype as the Nicholls State University softball team opened Saturday's doubleheader with a late-inning 3-1 victory over first-place McNeese State, but the Cowgirls countered with their second 2-0 win to clinch the series at Cowgirl Diamond.
With the split, Nicholls finished the day at 25-14 overall and 10-4 in conference. McNeese State stayed atop the standings at 13-2 and 28-9 overall.
The Colonels will step out of conference for a midweek game at South Alabama on Wednesday, April 13. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Game 1 – Nicholls 3, McNeese State 1
Senior
Danielle Phillips continued her late-game heroics with a two-out, 2-run single with the bases loaded and
Hannah Haydel stifled the Cowgirl offense as Nicholls picked up a 3-1 victory.
Phillips, who had a walk off 2-run single in last weekend's sweep over Central Arkansas, went 3-for-4 in the win as Nicholls finished with eight hits. Two of the Colonels' hits came in the seventh as they rallied with two outs.
With the game tied at 1-1, McNeese gave Nicholls a break in the seventh as a
Brooke Morris pop up was dropped by third baseman Shanice Hagler with one out. Following another pop up,
Kayla Prater recorded an infield single and
Haley Parkerson drew a walk to load the bases. Phillips then took an 0-1 pitch from Jamie Allred (10-2) and drove it to center field, allowing Morris and Prater to score for a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom half, Haydel sat down the first two batters before Marisa Taunton sent a rocket to third base, but it was right to
Haley Stevenson who snagged it to end the game.
Haydel (13-7) put together another outstanding effort in the circle, allowing just one run on five hits and struck out four. The Cowgirls got to Haydel in the second on a leadoff double by Tori Yanitor, who scored on a single off the bat of Hailey Drew.
Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Nicholls used three hits to even up the game. Morris singled up the middle to start the frame, Stevenson moved her over on a sac bunt and pinch hitter
Veronica Villafranco ripped a shot to left center for a double to knot the game at 1-all. Phillips then singled again and intentionally got caught in a run-down, but was tagged out before the runner could score from third.
Allred tossed a complete game for McNeese, allowing an earned run on eight hits. Erika Piancastelli led the Cowgirl offense with a 2-for-3 day.
Game 2 – McNeese State 2, Nicholls 0
McNeese State used the same formula from Friday night's victory - one run early, one run late and another shutout performance from Emily Vincent – to take the series over the Colonels with a 2-0 victory.
Six different Colonels recorded singles, but never really threatened to score until the fifth inning. Down 1-0,
Alexis Huss tallied a base knock to left to start the inning and Stevenson singled in the infield with one out. With two runners on, Vincent got Villafranco to pop up to third and Parkerson lined out to short to end the rally.
Piancastelli added a run for McNeese in the sixth with her nation-leading 18th home run. In the Colonel seventh, Morris singled with one out, but Vincent forced back-to-back pop ups to end the game.
Megan Landry (11-6) took the loss, allowing just three hits in six innings. She issued three free passes – two walks and a hit-by-pitch – through the first seven batters and McNeese eventually capitalized in the second. After Vincent walked to lead off the fame, Hagler brought her home on a base hit for the early 1-0 lead.
The run was all Vincent (11-2) needed as she cruised to her second shutout of the weekend. She allowed six hits and struck out seven.
Also tallying hits for Nicholls were
Amanda Gianelloni,
Kristen Ahearn and Prater.
