Final Stats 1 HAMMOND, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team pounded out 13 hits while Audrey McNeill was stellar in the circle as the Colonels picked up their first win of the season, defeating Missouri State 8-3 Friday afternoon in the Lion Classic at North Oak Park. 

The Colonels and Bears were set to play again on Saturday but it was canceled due to the weather.

Nicholls (1-1) was limited to three hits Thursday night in its season-opening setback but the offense bounced back by producing its first double-digit hitting effort in 18 games, dating back to last season. 

Four Colonels finished with two hits apiece including Abby Anderson and Claire Sisco, who both drove in a pair of runs. The top three batters in the order combined for six RBIs as Erin Krause joined the duo with two RBIs. 

McNeill allowed a first-inning home run to McKenzie Vaughan but the Colonels took the lead for good in the third. Andersen tripled in two runs to make it 2-1 and Sisco followed with an RBI single.

The Colonels added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and an unearned run in the bottom half made it 4-2. 

Nicholls extended the lead to 7-2 in the fifth after a pair of run-scoring hits. Krause singled up the middle for the first two runs and Alexa Poche' capped the frame with an RBI single through the right side. Poche' also finished with two hits as did Samantha Gwiazda, who had the sac fly in the fourth. 

The final Colonel run was in the sixth on a Sisco double. 

McNeill threw six innings for the win, allowing two hits while striking out five. She closed out her outing by retiring her final nine batters faced. 

Missouri State tried to put together a late rally against Brittney Turner in the seventh but could only plate a single run. 

UP NEXT
The Colonels make the trip to Baton Rouge for two Sunday games against Oregon State (10 a.m.) and LSU (3 p.m.). The game against the Tigers will air on SEC Network+