HATTIESBURG, Miss.  – Trailing by two in the seventh, the Nicholls State University softball team scored a run and had the bases loaded against Jacksonville State, but a hard liner was caught at first base to end the threat as the Colonels fell, 4-3, in their opening game of the Black and Gold Invitational.
 
For the night cap, Southern Miss had a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning before play was suspended due to heavy rain. The teams will continue play Sunday morning at 11 a.m. They will play for the second time at 12 p.m. For Saturday, the Colonels will play Mississippi Valley State at 12 p.m.
 
Against Jacksonville State (6-1), Megan Landry took the loss after allowing three earned runs on seven hits in six innings of work. JSU scored two in the first off Landry with the help of two Colonel errors, but after the Colonels tied it in the top of the fifth, a 2-run homer by Jamie McGuire in the bottom of put the Gamecocks back on top.
 
The Colonels' late rally was started on a leadoff single by Brooke Devine. Following a strikeout and an error, Amanda Gianelloni loaded the bases on an infield single. Kimmie Rodriguez then brought home Devin on a fielder's choice to make it 4-3.
 
With the bases loaded and one down, Veronica Villafranco smoked a shot to third base, but Taylor Sloan knocked it down and fired home for a force out. The next batter, Gretchen Morgan, hit a liner to first but it was at caught to end the game.
 
Nicholls had seven hits in the loss, led by two from Brooke Morris. The Colonels' two runs in the fifth came on a leadoff home run by Haley Stevenson and an error.
 
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