CONWAY, Ark. – Freshman Samantha Mracich put together her team-leading 17th multi-hit game by going 3-for-4 at the plate and senior Jackie Johnson delivered another strong showing in the circle as the Nicholls State University softball team defeated Central Arkansas, 3-1, Saturday to take the series.
 
Nicholls (24-12, 10-2 SLC) dropped the first game against UCA in the series Friday before Johnson limited the Bears to seven hits and two runs in the next two games. In Saturday's win, Johnson (11-6) allowed just four hits, struck out seven and the only run charged to her was unearned.
 
After struggling against Kayla Gomness (8-11) in Friday's 6-1 loss, Nicholls tagged her for nine hits Saturday. While Mracich had three hits including a triple, it was sophomore Veronica Villafranco's double in the fourth inning that broke a 0-0 tie. Kasey Frederick reached on an error with one down and Amanda Gianelloni recorded one of her two hits to put two runners on base. With two outs, Villafranco delivered a double to left center to give Nicholls a 2-0 lead.
 
UCA got one back in the bottom half after a two-out error led to a RBI double by Bailey Reynolds. Then in the seventh, Nicholls added an insurance run when Gianelloni singled to left with the bases loaded. Brooke Morris tried to score from second on the play but was thrown out at home to end the inning.
 
In the seventh, Johnson allowed a leadoff base hit before retiring the final three batters to pick up the win. The last two outs came via strikeouts – one looking and one swinging. Johnson fanned 13 batters in 15 innings for the series and had a 2-0 record with a 0.47 ERA.
 
Gomness tossed all seven innings for UCA and struck out three.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Colonels will continue their road swing next weekend with a three-game series at Abilene Christian. Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.