THIBODAUX, La. – For the second consecutive game, the Nicholls State University softball team received strong outings in the circle from Amanda Holliday and Alexis LaBure as the Colonels remained perfect at Swanner Field with a 2-0 victory over Southern Miss Wednesday night.
 
The duo teamed up for a shutout in Saturday's series finale against Southeastern Louisiana and did the same against Southern Miss (14-22). Holliday (4-1) scattered five hits in 4.0 innings for the win, while LaBure earned her fifth save of the year after allowing four hits in 3.0 innings. Both pitchers tallied two strikeouts each.
 
Kim Crowson (6-7) had a solid start for the Golden Eagles until the Colonels finally broke through with a run in the fourth. Jewel Lara drew one of her three walks and moved to third on a wild pitch with two down. Kendal Daniels pinch hit and delivered a rocket single to left, giving Nicholls a 1-0 lead.
 
The Colonels added an insurance run in the fifth on an Amanda Gianelloni single to center. Kasey Frederick set up the run with a one-out double and scored from second on the base hit.
 
USM threatened in the final two innings, but both times LaBure came away unscathed. With two outs and runners on second and third in the sixth, LaBure struck out Caitlyn Aldous to end the frame. In the seventh, Southern Miss singled twice and had runners on the corners with one out. LaBure fielded a hard grounder up the middle, looked the runner back at third and fired to first in time for the second out. The final out was snagged by LaBure on a popup in the infield.
 
Both teams had nine hits, with Gianelloni and Frederick leading the Colonels with two-hit games. Kelsey Miller had an infield single to push her hitting streak to 10 games.
 
Alyssa Davis had three hits for USM, and Ciarra Cherry finished with two. All nine hits for the visitors were singles.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Colonels host Central Arkansas for a three-game series, beginning Friday (March 30) with a doubleheader at 4 p.m.