THIBODAUX, La. - After battling the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns to a 3-1 deficit through five innings, the Nicholls State University softball team ran out of steam in the sixth as UL pushed across five runs to hand the Colonels an 8-2 setback Tuesday night on Swanner Field at GeoSurfaces Park. 

Nicholls (11-8) hung close with Louisiana (8-9) before the visitors pounded out six of its 11 hits for the game in the sixth inning. The Colonels were able to score in the bottom half on a Reagan Heflin single but fell well short of making a comeback.

Averi Paden took her first loss of the season, lasting 5.2 innings with seven earned runs on nine hits. She finished with three strikeouts and walked two.

The Ragin' Cajuns wasted no time in scoring as Sam Roe homered to left for a 2-run shot in the first. But Nicholls responded with its own long ball in the third when Gabby Higbee belted her team-best fourth home run of the season to make it 2-1. 

In the next inning, UL went up 3-1 after Victoria Valdez found space through the right side for a two-out RBI single. Valdez then highlighted the five-fifth for the Ragin' Cajuns with a 2-run double. All of UL's runs scored on the night came with two down.

While Higbee and Heflin drove in the two Colonel runs, Alexa Poche' went 2-for-3 at the plate and was robbed of a home run to straight away center in the seventh inning. Erin Krause had the other Colonel hit when she led off the sixth with a double and scored.

Sam Landry struck out five in 6.0 innings for the win and was helped by her defense which turned three double plays on the night. 

With the loss, Nicholls has dropped 11 consecutive matchups with UL and has not won since 2007. The Colonels complete the home-and-home series with a trip to Lafayette on April 17.

ON DECK
Nicholls will head north to take on ULM in a three-game series. Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.