Gabby Higbee - Nicholls Softball
Arief Harlan
4
Nicholls NICH 10-6
5
Winner Florida State FSU 10-3
Nicholls NICH
10-6
4
Final
5
Florida State FSU
10-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Nicholls NICH 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 5 2
Florida State FSU 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 5 7 1

W: Allison Royalty (4-1) L: McNeill, Audrey (4-5)

0
Nicholls NICH 10-7
8
Winner Florida State FSU 11-3
Nicholls NICH
10-7
0
Final
8
Florida State FSU
11-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Nicholls NICH 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Florida State FSU 0 2 2 1 3 8 10 0

W: Allison Royalty (5-1) L: Yoo, Molly (2-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

No. 11 Florida State rallies late to spark sweep of Colonels

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Nicholls State University took on No. 11 Florida State in a doubleheader in the Dugout Club Classic on Saturday, and after suffering a late 5-4 loss in the opener, the Colonels were defeated via run-rule in five innings, 8-0, at JoAnne Graf Field. 

The losses stopped the Colonels' (10-7) five-game winning streak. Nicholls will finish the classic on Sunday against Charleston Southern at 9 a.m.

Game 1 - Florida State 5, Nicholls 4

The nationally-ranked Seminoles climbed from behind twice including a late two-run rally in the seventh for a 5-4 walk-off victory against the Colonels.

Molly VandenBout powered the offense with her second two-homer effort in the last three games. She hit a towering solo shot in the first inning and belted a two-run homer in the third for a 3-1 advantage. After Florida State scored twice in the fifth, Gabby Higbee gave Nicholls a 4-3 lead with a solo homer in the seventh.

In the bottom half, the Seminoles took advantage of a leadoff error and tied the game on a Hallie Wacaser RBI double. After being walked three times, Michaela Edenfield ended the game with a run-scoring single up the middle.

Averi Paden made the start, lasting 4.0 innings with three earned runs on four hits. Audrey McNeill took the loss in 2.1 innings of relief. Both hurlers struck out two each but combined for six walks. 

With the game tied at 1-1, Reagan Heflin kept the third inning alive with a two-out single. VandenBout then sent an 0-1 pitch over the wall towards the scoreboard for a 3-1 lead.

McNeill took over in the circle in the fifth with two on and no outs. FSU came up with an RBI single before McNeill issued a walk with the bags full that evened the score. But she forced a lineout to short to end the inning. 

Higbee's go-ahead homer came with one down in the seventh before FSU's final rally. 

Game 2 - Florida State 8, Nicholls 0 (5 inn.)

After a scoreless first inning, Florida State scored in each of the final four frames and hit three homers for a run-rule win over the Colonels.

Jaysoni Beachum homered twice while Eidenfield ended the game in the fifth with a two-run shot. FSU outhit the Colonels, 10-2.

Rylie Rutherford had both hits for Nicholls against Allison Royalty, who had four strikeouts in the complete game shutout. 

Molly Yoo took the loss, lasting 4.0 innings with five earned runs on seven hits.