COMMERCE, Texas - The Nicholls State University softball team used a familiar recipe of Erin Krause racking up hits, Melise Gossen driving in runs and Audrey McNeill being lights out in the circle to hand Texas A&M-Commerce a 6-2 loss on Saturday, clinching the series for the Colonels for the second time in as many weekends.

With the win, Nicholls improved its record to 17-10 overall and 4-2 in the Southland. A&M-Commerce, which played an extremely stiff nonconference slate, dropped to 5-21 and 1-2.

Coming off earning Southland Pitcher of the Week, McNeill was outstanding again with six hits allowed, five strikeouts and two runs in a complete game victory. Both runs came in the seventh inning to make the final.

Krause continued her record-setting season by tying the program mark with a 4-fo-4 day at plate. All four hits were singles as she upped her batting average to a Southland best .468. As a team, Nicholls tagged Lion starter Julia Sanchez for 12 hits. Sanchez pitched another complete game but this time, came away with the loss. 

Gossen added to her league-leading total as well with three RBIs but had just one official at-bat. She drove in a run in the opening inning on a sacrifice fly and then added one in the fifth and one in the seventh. 

After Gossen's first sac fly in the first, Alexa Poche' drove in another on an RBI groundout.

The score remained 2-0 until the fifth as Nicholls stretched its lead to 4-0. Abby Andersen used one of her two hits on the day for an RBI and Gossen followed with her second sac fly. Then in the seventh, Gossen's final sac fly made it 5-0 before Molly VandenBout delivered an RBI base hit.

The Lions prevented the McNeill shutout with a pair of runs in the seventh. An RBI groundout was followed by an run-scoring triple off the bat of Camile Nunez. McNeill finished off the complete game with a lineout to second. 

ON DECK
Nicholls will host South Alabama for a nonconference game on Tuesday, March 21. First pitcher at Swanner Field is scheduled for 5 p.m.