Jackie Johnson
3
Winner Nicholls NICH 25-12, 11-2 SLC
2
Abilene Christian ACU 22-15, 11-2 SLC
Winner
Nicholls NICH
25-12, 11-2 SLC
3
Final
2
Abilene Christian ACU
22-15, 11-2 SLC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Nicholls NICH 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 4 0
Abilene Christian ACU 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 7 3

W: Johnson, Jackie (12-6) L: Holman, Sidney (15-4) S: Landry, Megan (2)

Game Recap: Softball |

Strong pitching lifts Nicholls to 3-2 victory at ACU

ABILENE, Texas – The Nicholls State University softball team had just four hits against Abilene Christian, but the Colonels took advantage of three Wildcat errors and the pitching staff continued to dominate as Nicholls came away with a 3-2 victory Friday night to open the series.
 
Senior Jackie Johnson made the start in the circle and limited first-place ACU (22-15, 11-2 SLC) to a pair of runs in 5.0 innings of work. While Johnson (12-6) went on to improve to 7-0 in league play, it wasn't without the help of sophomore Megan Landry who picked up her second save of the season.
 
With Nicholls (25-12, 11-2 SLC) holding a 3-2 lead in the sixth, Johnson issued a leadoff walk before allowing her seventh hit. Landry came in for relief and following a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position, she picked up two swinging strikeouts to keep the Wildcats off the board. She then closed out the game with a perfect seventh on two pop ups and a strikeout, pulling Nicholls into a second-place tie with ACU.
 
All four of the Colonels' hits were singles, including a run-scoring hit in the first by Amanda Gianelloni. With one down, Sidney Holman (15-4) walked the previous two batters and Gianelloni made her pay as she ripped a shot up the middle to plate Brooke Morris from second, giving Nicholls an early 1-0 lead.
 
In the second, another mistake by ACU led to a 2-0 advantage for the Colonels. Veronica Villafranco singled and after a sac bunt, pinch runner Maegen Ellis held up on a groundout before taking off to third. She beat the throw to third and the ball got away, allowing Ellis to come home.
 
ACU answered with a run in the third and fourth innings to tie the game. Peyton Hedricks stroked a double in the gap to drive in the first run and a bloop triple by Tori Poullard in the fourth knotted the game at 2-2.
 
In the fifth, a third error by ACU gave Nicholls a 3-2 advantage. Samantha Mracich singled to lead off the inning and on a sac bunt attempt by Morris, ACU threw the ball away which allowed Mracich to score.
 
Johnson and Landry combined for seven strikeouts while Holman fanned nine Colonels. The trio entered the series as the only pitchers in the Southland with 100-plus strikeouts on the season.
 
ON DECK
 
Nicholls and ACU will complete the series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon. McNeese swept its doubleheader Friday night to improve to 13-1, leaving the Colonels and Wildcats tied for second at 11-2.