MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – A 7-3 lead for the Nicholls State University softball team was eventually erased by Manhattan, and the Colonels went on to drop an 8-7 decision in eight innings on Sunday to close out play in the EMU Madeira Beach Tournament.
Nicholls finished the weekend at 3-2, improving its overall record to 8-4. With the win, Manhattan stands at 2-3 on the season.
Four Colonels had two-hit games as the team finished with 10.
Samantha Mracich,
Amanda Gianelloni,
Kali Clement and
Samantha Dares all had multi-hit games, and
Jewel Lara led the way with two RBIs– both via a first-inning double.
Lara's double sparked a three-run first for Nicholls, and the Colonels held on to the lead until the sixth inning. Down 7-3, the Jaspers scored two in the fifth before tying it up on a two-run home run in the sixth by Christine Gebhardt. The homer was off of
Megan Landry (4-2), who was the third pitcher of the game for the Colonels.
In the eighth,
Kelsey Miller, who was placed on second to start the frame due to the international tiebreaker, was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice to keep the score tied. The Colonels then got a two-out double from Gianelloni to put runners in scoring position, but a flyout by Lara ended the threat.
For the bottom half, Landry struck out her fifth batter of the day before a passed ball allowed the runner to advance to third. Gebhardt then hit a grounder to short and the winning run scored for the walk-off victory.
Landry gave up three hits in 3.1 innings of relief.
Amanda Holliday made the start, tossing 1.2 innings and
Alexis LaBure threw 2.2 innings. All three pitchers allowed two earned runs.
The teams combined for seven runs in the first two innings as Nicholls led 4-3. The second-inning run was thanks to a double by Gianelloni, which plated
Corynn Major who led off with a walk.
Two more doubles paved the way for a three-run fifth and a 7-3 lead. Clement doubled with a runner on, and
Kasey Frederick drove both in with her two-base hit. Dares then found a hole through the right side for an RBI single. But Landry, who was one of the NCAA's leaders in saves last season, was unable to pick up her first of the year.
Before Manhattan tied it up with the home run in the sixth, Nicholls left the bases loaded in the top half after Nicole Williams (3-2) struck out Frederick looking. The Colonels stranded 10 runners in the loss.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a midweek matchup against Southern Miss on Wednesday, Feb. 28. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
