MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For the second time in its opening weekend, the Nicholls State University softball team was unable to push a run across as the Colonels were defeated against Middle Tennessee, 4-0, Sunday afternoon to close out play in the Black and Gold Tournament.
 
Nicholls (3-2) had four hits in the loss, receiving two from Kasey Frederick. The First Team All-Southland selection had an impressive weekend, finishing with a team-best eight hits for a .471 average. She also drove in a pair of runs and had three doubles, including one on Sunday.
 
Middle Tennessee (7-4) used two-run frames in the second and fourth to stay undefeated for the weekend as it claimed its sixth-straight victory. The Blue Raiders won their five games in the tournament by a combined score of 25-4, earning shutouts in the last three.
 
Alexis LaBure (1-2) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings. A three-hit second inning resulted in a run on a sacrifice fly, and Deja Portillo singled in the second one. In the bottom half, Frederick led off for the Colonels with a double, but Middle's Gretchen Greer (1-1) sat down the next three, including two strikeouts. Greer pitched all seven innings and struck out 10.
 
Middle then added two in the fourth. A run-scoring double chased LaBure out of the game, and Megan Landry gave up her only hit in relief, which resulted in a 4-0 lead for the Blue Raiders. Landry struck out six in 3.1 innings to keep the score 4-0.
 
Julia Bailey and Samantha Mracich had the other hits for the Colonels.
 
UP NEXT
 
Nicholls will play at Alcorn State on Tuesday for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live stats can be accessed on geauxcolonels.com.