DENTON, Texas – Trailing by two runs heading into the final inning, the Nicholls State University softball team scored five runs in the top of the seventh, with four coming on
Kendal Daniels' second career grand slam, as the Colonels wrapped with the North Texas Invitational with a dramatic 10-7 victory over the host Mean Green Sunday afternoon.
Nicholls (11-7) jumped out to a 5-1 lead over North Texas (7-8) before the Mean Green used a six-run sixth to take the lead, highlighted by back-to-back homers which including their own grand slam. But the Colonels were down to their last out before putting together a phenomenal comeback.
Singles by
Samantha Dares and
Jewel Lara kept the inning alive before a wild pitch allowed a run to score. A walk put two on and
Yasmeen Williams, whose 2-run homer sparked a three-run inning in the second, singled to load the bases. Head coach
Angel Santiago elected to go with Daniels to pinch hit and she delivered with a grand slam for a 10-7 advantage.
Megan Landry (7-3), who was unable to preserve the lead in the sixth, allowed two base hits in the bottom half before ending the game on a looking strikeout. She picked up the win after tossing 2.2 innings and struck out two.
Nicholls tallied 12 hits in the victory, with Williams, Dares and Lara finishing with two each. Lara,
Kasey Frederick and
Kali Clement each had a double.
Alexis LaBure made the start in the circle and was solid until running into trouble in the fifth. After the Colonels extended their lead in the top half on a Dares RBI single and a Lara sacrifice fly, UNT's rally began on a base hit and a walk against LaBure.
Amanda Holliday came into pitch and issued two walks to make it a 5-2 game. Nicholls then turned to its top pitcher, Landry, but Hanna Rebar got a hold of a pitch and put the Mean Green on top, 6-5, with a grand slam. The next batter, Harley Perella, also homered for a two-run lead.
Daniels' grand slam was not only the second of her career, but both have come on pinch-hit situations. Last season, she hit one in the Colonels' run-rule victory over Coppin State. The sophomore has two grand slams in just 27 official at-bats.
Maria Priest was charged with the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in 1.1 innings.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will have the midweek off before heading to Houston next weekend for their conference-opening series against HBU. They will play a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. and a single game Saturday at noon.
