CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Nicholls State University softball team totaled 16 hits in its Friday doubleheader against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and came away with a split, winning 4-2 before falling late in the second game, 3-2, at Chapman Field.
With the split, Nicholls (9-21, 2-15 SLC) ended it seven-game losing skid on the season but saw its 10-game winning streak against the Islanders come to an end. The Colonels will look to win their first Southland series in Saturday's finale at 11 a.m.
In the opening game, Nicholls broke a 2-all tie in the fifth with a pair of runs.
Emma Holland gave the Red and Gray the lead after drawing a walk with the bases loaded, and
Kennedy Hebert added an RBI on a bloop single.
Jordan Moon earned the win, lasting 6.1 innings with two strikeouts. She allowed eight hits, with the last coming with one out in the seventh.
Emily Danehower relieved Moon after the single and following a walk that put the tying runner on base, Danehower caught a hard liner and doubled up the Islander at second to end the game.
Ashlyn Reavis posted her sixth two-hit game in the last 10 and gave the Colonels a 2-1 lead in the third with an RBI infield single.
Samantha Gwiazda also had an RBI earlier in the inning.
The Islanders (17-23, 7-10 SLC) tied the game in the fourth thanks to a run-scoring double by MacKenzie Purcell.
Beatriz Lara took the loss, finishing with four strikeouts in seven innings.
For the second game, Sydney Hoyt came through with the game-winning hit in the sixth and Nicholls was unable to answer in the seventh despite putting two runners on.
Holland started the Colonel rally with one out, reaching on a base hit through the left side. Reavis got on thanks to an error by Lara, who took over in the circle for the Islanders in the fifth. But facing Hebert and Garcia who each had two hits in the game, Lara forced a popout and flyout to close out the win for A&M-Corpus Christi.
Skylar Hamilton joined Hebert and Garcia with two hits as Nicholls finished with eight. Hamilton and Garcia each drove in a run in the fifth to tie the game. Garcia's double put the Colonels on the board before Hamilton stroked a single to center.
Taryn Westbrook was handed the loss, tossing all six innings with three earned runs on seven hits.
