THIBODAUX, La. - After the visiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders racked up 26 runs in Friday's doubleheader sweep, the Nicholls State University softball team used an outstanding pitching performance by
Brittney Turner to take the finale with a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Swanner Field.
Nicholls (11-31, 3-9 SLC) scored two runs in the first and it was more than enough for Turner, who scattered six hits in the complete game victory. The win snapped a nine-game skid for the Colonels, and it was also first-year head coach
Justin Lewis' first victory at home. The Colonels played their first 35 games on the road before Saturday wrapped up a seven-game homestand.
Turner struck out three in 7.0 innings of work, and two came after the Islanders scored their only run in the second. Nicholls jumped out to the 2-0 lead in the opening frame after tallying three hits.
Samantha Gwiazda roped a single to right for an RBI, and another run scored on the play on an errant throw to the plate.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19-23, 7-5 SLC) answered in the next inning with an RBI single by Madison Garza. But with the tying runner on second and one down, Turner fanned the next two batters to keep the 2-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the second,
Jaida Choice ripped a shot to left for a leadoff double. Following a sac bunt,
Shelby Devine flied out to deep left for an RBI. Nicholls had eight hits for the game with Choice leading with a 2-for-3 day.
Down 3-1 in the fourth, the Islanders threatened with a leadoff single. But the next batter lined out to
Julia Kramer at third, and she fired to first for a double play. Kramer was then charged with back-to-back errors before ending the inning with a 5-3 putout.
Pal Egan started the fifth for the Islanders with her second base hit of the day. A groundout moved her over and Nicholls elected to intentionally walk Haley Morse. The move worked out as the next batter flied out and then catcher
Sadie Wells ended the inning by hauling in a popup behind the plate.
Turner (6-13) worked a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, and
Alexa Poche' highlighted the final frame with a game-ending diving catch in left field.
Denay Smith (4-7) suffered the loss, allowing three runs in 1.2 innings. Egan and Gabriella Torres paced AMCC with two hits each.
ON DECK
The Colonels will head to Houston for a three-game conference series against HBU, starting Friday, April 29 with a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
