THIBODAUX, La. – A five-run third inning gave the Nicholls State University softball team a comfortable lead in its Southland Conference opener against HBU and Sydney Bourg ended the game in thrilling fashion with a walk-off home run as the Colonels defeated the Huskies, 8-0, in five innings Friday night at the Colonel Softball Complex.
 
Nicholls (15-9, 1-0 SLC) tagged HBU (7-7, 0-1 SLC) for nine hits, while Megan Landry (8-4) was magnificent in the circle with nine strikeouts in five innings of work. She held the Huskies to just two hits in the victory.
 
The Colonels were led at the plate by Brooke Morris, Kasey Frederick and Bourg with two hits each. Bourg, in her first season at Nicholls after playing two years at LSU, sent a 1-1 pitch over the right center wall to end the game, recording her first career home run.
 
Nicholls' big inning was helped by two errors from HBU, but the offense came up with timely hitting to plate the five runs. Morris singled in the first run and following a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Amanda Gianelloni, Frederick laced a shot to left center to drive in two to make the score 4-0. Frederick then came around to score after a wild pitch and an error.
 
In the fourth, some heads up base running led to the Colonels' first run. Haley Stevenson doubled with one out and Samantha Mracich reached on an infield single. On the play, Mracich headed to second to draw the defense and Stevenson raced home to make it 6-0. Morris then delivered another run-scoring single for the seven-run lead.
 
Landry, who earned All-Southland honorable mention last season as a freshman, walked just one batter in her five innings and struck out the side in the fourth. Along with earning the victory, she lowered her ERA to 2.25 of the season.
 
Emily Mueller had the loss for HBU, allowing two earned runs on seven hits.
 
SCHEDULE UPDATE
 
The Colonels and HBU finish the three-game set Saturday with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. First pitch was moved up from 1 p.m. due to potential rain in the area.