MOBILE, Ala. - South Alabama recorded all four of its hits in the final two innings as the Nicholls State University softball team was unable to hang on to a two-run lead, falling 3-2 Tuesday night at Jaguar Field.
Averi Paden held South Alabama (26-13) hitless through four innings while the Colonel offense got their first hits in the fourth, leading to two runs. But the Jaguars scored one in the fifth before a 2-run single in the sixth by Gabby Stagner lifted USA to a 3-2 victory.
Paden and South Alabama's Jenna Hardy battled it out in the circle early on as neither team had a hit through three innings. Paden retired the first eight batters she faced before issuing a two-out walk in the third. Hardy sat down the first 10 Colonels before the offense got going in the fourth.
With one down,
Claire Sisco smacked a single to short for the first hit of the game.
Erin Krause and
Alexa Poche' followed with singles to left to load the bases.
Molly VandenBout sprayed a handful of foul balls to draw a walk in a nine-pitch at bat for the first RBI of the game. Then
Melise Gossen made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom half, Sisco robbed a base hit with a diving catch in shallow left center. Paden went on to sit the Jaguars down in order in the inning.
Nicholls had a chance to add to the lead in the fifth but came away empty.
Tal Evans drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner
Samantha Gwiazda stole second. A strikeout and a flyout kept her on second before Sisco drew a walk to put two on. But USA's Olivia Lackey forced a popup to end the threat.
South Alabama's first hit of the night was a leadoff double by Stagner in the fifth. Odalys Cordova followed with an RBI single but was tagged out in a run down.
The Colonels threatened again in the sixth after VandenBout reached base on a one-out single.
MaKynli Miller drew a two-out walk before Lackey picked up a strikeout to end the inning.
Audrey McNeill took over in the circle for the Colonels and surrendered a leadoff walk. Following a fielder's choice and a groundout, Sasha Willems popped a base hit just out of the reach of a leaping VandenBout at first to place runners at the corners. Facing Victoria Ortiz, who had two hits and three RBIs in the 5-2 win over the Colonels a few weeks ago, Nicholls elected to intentionally walk her to load the bases. But Stagner ripped the first pitch she saw through the right side for two runs and a 3-2 lead.
Lackie retired the Colonels in order in the seventh for the victory. She allowed one hit and struck out four in 3.0 innings.
Paden totaled 5.0 innings and had one strikeout in the no-decision. McNeill (9-7) took the loss with two runs on two hits and a pair of walks.
ON DECK
Nicholls will head to McNeese this weekend for a three-game series. Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.
