HAMMOND, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team outhit Alabama A&M in its season opener in the Lion Classic, but miscues by the defense and untimely walks led to a 9-6 setback Friday afternoon at North Oak Park.

The Colonels (0-1) will have another crack at AAMU (1-1) on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Nicholls and SEMO will wrap up the day with a 1 p.m. game. 

Nicholls totaled 11 hits to the Bulldogs' six, and both teams had three errors. But the Colonels' mistakes turned out to be more costly as six of the nine runs allowed were unearned.

Kennedy Hebert, Lulu Vazquez and Scout Blades each recorded two hits, with Vazquez and Blades doubling twice. Hebert also scored two runs, including once in the first inning for an early 1-0 lead, and nearly left the yard in the fifth on a flyout to the wall. 

Alabama A&M scored three in the second frame, helped by a Colonel error. Melise Gossen misplayed a grounder to first with two outs that allowed a run to score, then Lauryn Gross singled in a pair of runners for the 3-1 lead. 

Following a scoreless third, Nicholls cranked out five hits off of Coe Esperanza to go up 5-3. Vazquez doubled to start things off and Blades followed with a run-scoring double down the right field line. The offense then delivered three consecutive RBI singles by Maya Zavala, Hebert, and Alexa Poche'. 

But in the bottom half of the fourth, two errors led to three more runs. With the bases loaded and two down, Zavala booted a grounder at second and threw the ball away to third, allowing all three runners to score. 

Nicholls tied it back up on an RBI single off the bat of Vazquez. Samantha Gwiazda scored on the play after leading off with a single and stealing second. 

The lead was short lived, however, as AAMU managed to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth on just one hit. Brittney Turner issued two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases, and then walked in a run. Taryn Westbrook took over in the circle and retired the next batter, but could not limit the damage after surrendering an infield run-scoring single and another bases loaded walk. 

Nicholls had a chance to cut into the lead in the sixth, but the Colonels were doubled up on a soft liner to end the threat. Esperanza then had a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to finish off her complete game. 

Freshman Paris Lehman made the start in the circle, allowing six runs (zero earned) on four hits in 3.2 innings. Turner tossed 0.2 innings while Westbrook finished the game with 1.2. Each pitcher recorded a strikeout.

FOLLOW THE COLONELS
Follow Nicholls Softball on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow Nicholls Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to the official YouTube channel (Nicholls Athletics).