NATCHITOCHES, La. - Freshman
Paris Lehman notched her second complete game in as many days, while classmates
Mckenzie Champagne and
Sadie Wells had two hits each as the Nicholls State University softball team defeated rival Northwestern State, 5-4, on Saturday in the series finale.
Wells and Champagne both drove in a run for Nicholls (10-22, 2-4 SLC) in a four-run fourth that put the Colonels up 5-3. Lehman allowed a run to score in the sixth but was able to work around a one-single in the seventh to close out the victory.
Lehman struck out three in seven innings and scattered nine hits. She pitched all six innings in Friday's 1-0 loss in the opener.
Nicholls totaled seven hits with Wells and Champagne leading the way, and each added a walk. Champagne drove in the first Colonel run to tie the game at 1-1 in the third. The inning was set up by a leadoff Wells double.
After the Lady Demons (23-13, 5-1 SLC) took the lead with two runs in the third, the Colonels answered with their big inning. A
Samantha Gwiazda single was followed by an error and a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases, and
Maya Zavala posted an infield single for an RBI. Wells then found a gap through the right side for a base hit and a 3-3 tie, and Champagne drew a bases loaded walk to put Nicholls ahead.
Danielle Duplay ended the scoring with an RBI groundout.
NSU's Alexis Perry cut into the deficit with a run-scoring fielder's choice in the sixth, but the Colonel defense would come through with a pair of highlight plays to end the sixth and seventh. After Perry's RBI in the sixth and with a runner on second, Nicholls turned a double play to keep the score at 5-4. Then with two down in the seventh, Champagne snagged a ball in right field for the final out.
Laney Roos led the NSU offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. After shutting out the Colonels on Friday, Sage Hoover took the loss with four earned runs on six hits in 3.1 innings.
ON DECK
The Colonels will step out of league play next weekend with a three-game series at Louisiana Tech.
