MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The Nicholls State University softball team opened up play in the EMU Madeira Beach Tournament with a 4-2 win over Delaware, but the Colonels came up short in their second game, falling 5-1 against Akron.
Nicholls (6-3) continues play in the tournament on Saturday with games against Albany (12:30 p.m.) and Villanova (3 p.m.).
Game 1 – Nicholls 4, Delaware 2
The Colonel offense pounded out 11 hits including the team's first home run of the season, a solo shot by
Amanda Gianelloni, as Nicholls defeated Delaware, 4-2, to start play in the Madeira Beach Tournament.
Gianelloni was one of three Colonels to have two hits and led with team two RBIs.
Samantha Mracich continued to swing a hot bat with a 2-for-4 game and had two hits including one double.
In the circle,
Amanda Holliday (2-0) picked up the win, tossing 5.0 innings of two-hit ball.
Alexis LaBure allowed a pair of runs in the seventh, but still picked up her second save of the year.
The Colonels took advantage of some Delaware (0-6) miscues in the third to grab a 2-0 lead. A one-out single by Mracich started the rally, and a hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases. Gianelloni brought in the first run after reaching on an error, and
Kali Clement drove in the other on a sacrifice fly.
In the sixth,
Kelsey Miller doubled in a run for a 3-0 advantage. Gianelloni then led off the seventh with a home run to center field. For the bottom half, the Blue Hens scored two runs on three hits before LaBure got a swinging strikeout to end the game.
Game 2 – Kent State 5, Nicholls 1
Nicholls had eight hits in the second game against Akron, but the Colonels stranded a total of 11 runs as the Golden Flashes picked up a 5-1 victory.
Kent State tagged
Megan Landry (3-1) for 10 hits in 4.0 innings, highlighted by a two-run homer by Holley Spears for a 2-0 lead in the third.
Jewel Lara put Nicholls on the board with an RBI double in the bottom half, but it would be the only run against the Kent pitching staff.
Brenna Brownfield scattered seven hits in 4.2 innings, while Madi Huck earned the save. For the Colonels, LaBure pitched again in relief, allowing two runs on two hits in 3.0 innings.
Nicholls had a chance to take an early lead after loading the bases with one out in the second. Three consecutive singles filled the bags, but Kent State threw a runner out at home on a fielder's choice before picking up a 5-3 groundout to end the threat.
Three straight singles in the top of the fifth forced the Colonels to make a pitching change. It marked just the fourth time that Landry, who had three strikeouts for the game, surrendered 10 or more hits in her career. The Flashes would push a run across in the inning and added two more in the seventh off of LaBure.
Lara paced Nicholls with two hits, while Gianelloni added a triple in the seventh. Speers was the star for Kent State, finishing 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
