ABILENE CHRISTIAN, Texas – For the third time in Southland Conference play, the Nicholls State University softball team won a series on the road, but like in the previous two, the Colonels were unable to come away with a sweep as Nicholls split its Saturday doubleheader at Abilene Christian with a 4-2 win in Game 1 before falling in 10 innings in Game 2, 5-4.
The split put the Colonels at 26-13 overall and 12-3 in conference. Nicholls is now tied for second with Abilene Christian (23-16, 12-3 SLC) and will have a mammoth series next weekend against first-place McNeese at the Colonel Softball Complex.
Game 1 – Nicholls 4, ACU 2
Nicholls duplicated Friday night's formula of a solid start from senior
Jackie Johnson and a save from
Megan Landry as the Colonels clinched the series with a 4-2 victory over ACU.
A three-run third for Nicholls closed out the scoring as Johnson (13-7) and Landry took care of the rest. Johnson pitched 5.0 innings for the win, allowing two runs on six hits and struck out six. Landry surrendered a hit in the final two innings before going on to earn her third save of the season.
ACU used a 2-run homer by Holly Neese to take an early lead in the first, but it would the only runs of the game for the Wildcats. Nicholls cut the deficit in half in the second after ACU threw the ball away on a bunt single by
Haley Stevenson, which allowed
Sydney Bourg to score.
The Colonels took the lead for good in the third after putting together three hits against Hannah Null.
Samantha Mracich led off the frame with a single and following an
Amanda Gianelloni walk,
Kendal Daniels tied the game on a base hit to left.
Veronica Villafranco then delivered a 2-run double down the left field line to make the final, 4-2 Nicholls.
The Colonels finished with seven hits by seven different players.
Game 2 – ACU 5, Nicholls 4 (10 innings)
A 2-run single by
Kasey Frederick gave Nicholls a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning, but ACU rallied to tied the game and went on to win in extras as Nicholls fell, 5-4, in 10 innings.
A leadoff walk issued by
Megan Landry in the bottom of the seventh came around to score when Taylor Brown delivered a two-out single to even the game at 4-4. In the 10th with the international tiebreaker rule into play, the Colonels moved the runner over to third on a sac bunt but were unable to take the lead. ACU also moved the runner over on a sac before Braegan Hamilton singled to left for the walk-off victory.
Johnson suffered her first loss in conference play, allowing two hits in 1.2 innings of relief.
Megan Landry made the start for Nicholls, going 7.2 innings with four earned runs on six hits and struck out two.
Amanda Gianelloni had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. Nicholls had 11 hits in the loss, with
Sydney Bourg adding two.
ACU scored a run in the first and third innings, while Nicholls answered with one in the second. Gianelloni led off the second with a walk and scored on an infield single by Bourg.
Trailing 2-1, the Colonels tied the game in the sixth on a
Veronica Villafranco single, but ACU answered with a solo shot in the bottom half by Brianna Barnhill.
Frederick's go-ahead single came in the seventh with one out.
Jessica Taylor singled to start the rally and runners moved into scoring position on an error on a sac bunt attempt by
Samantha Mracich. But after ACU tied the game, the Colonels were shutout in the final three innings.
UP NEXT
The Colonels will step out of conference play with a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 11 at Alcorn State. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
