THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University softball team picked up wins in completely different ways in Friday night's doubleheader against Southeastern Louisiana, starting with a run-rule 9-1 victory before finishing the sweep with a dramatic 4-3 walk-off win at the Colonel Softball Complex.
With the two wins, the Colonels improve to 21-11 overall, 7-1 in Southland play and 9-0 at home. Nicholls will go for the sweep against Southeastern (14-17, 3-5 SLC) Saturday at noon.
Game 1 – Nicholls 9, Southeastern Louisiana 1 (5 inn.)
The Colonels pushed across all nine runs in the first three innings and
Megan Landry held the Lady Lions to a lone run in the fifth as Nicholls run-ruled SLU, 9-1.
Nicholls had just seven hits in the win, but were able to take advantage of three Southeastern errors.
Jessica Taylor and
Brooke Morris led the offense with two hits each, with Taylor driving in a team-high three runs.
Landry (11-5) pitched all five inning and struck out four. Kalyn Watts hit a solo homer in the fifth inning to prevent Landry's fourth shutout of the season.
The Colonels pounded out four hits in the first inning, with three going for extra bases. Morris singled and moved to third on an
Amanda Gianelloni double, and both runners scored on a double from
Kasey Frederick. Taylor capped the scoring with triple to right center for the 3-0 lead.
In the second, Taylor came through again with a 2-run single to center. Nicholls then added three in the third after SLU committed three errors.
Game 2 – Nicholls 4, Southeastern Louisiana 3
With the game tied at 3-3 and two on with two down,
Kasey Frederick delivered a single to right center to lift Nicholls to a walk-off 4-3 victory over SLU.
The Colonels found themselves down 3-1 after the top of the fifth, but a costly error allowed Nicholls to tie the game in the bottom half. With a runner on first,
Brooke Morris put down a sacrifice bunt and third baseman Alli Daigle fired the ball over first base and into the outfield. The ball rolled all the way to the fence and Morris was able to round the bases to make it 3-all.
In the seventh, Morris beat out an infield single with one out to start the rally.
Amanda Gianelloni looked to have the game-winning hit as she smashed a pitch down the left field line to the wall, but Kalyn Watts made an outstanding catch to keep the game going.
Morris then moved over on a passed ball and
Jessica Taylor drew a walk to fill the open base. The next batter, Frederick, took a 0-1 pitch and drove it into the gap in right center for the walk-off win.
Frederick was 3-for-3 in the game and had a run scored. Morris scored two runs and was one of four Colonels to have one hit.
Jackie Johnson (8-6) earned the win with a complete game five-hitter. Johnson cruised through the first three innings before the Lady Lions scored on a double and an error in the fourth. The run tied the game after Nicholls scored in the second on a base knock from
Veronica Villafranco.
In the fifth, SLU went up 3-1 after a leadoff homer from Watts and a triple from Mahalia Gibson. But the error in the bottom half evened the score at 3-all.
Lacey Hill took the loss, allowing two earned runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. For the Colonels, Johnson fanned six and walked two.
