THIBODAUX, La. - After being held to a single hit in the opening 4-1 loss to McNeese,
Molly Yoo returned the favor with a dominant outing in the circle in Game 2 as the Nicholls State University softball team split Friday's doubleheader with a 1-0 victory on Swanner Field at GeoSurfaces Park.
Nicholls (16-13, 4-1 SLC) and McNeese (15-13, 1-1 SLC) will wrap up the series on Saturday with a noon first pitch. The win by the Colonels snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series against the Cowgirls. The last series win for the Colonels versus McNeese was in 2019.
Game 1 - McNeese 4, Nicholls 1
The Colonels were unable to solve Shaelyn Sanders, who fanned 10 batters and allowed just a base hit to
Molly VandenBout, as the Cowgirls took the opener, 4-1.
Audrey McNeill had a solid showing as well in her complete game effort, striking out six while allowing four runs on seven hits. Neither team scored until the fifth inning.
For the inning, two Cowgirl singles in the top half set up runners on first and third with two out. On a steal attempt at second,
Riley Rutherford threw out the runner but not before Mariana Torres scored for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom half, VandenBout led off with the Colonels' lone hit of the game.
Erin Krause reached on a fielder's choice and then with two down, Nicholls had a wild play to even the score.
Gabby Higbee struck out but the ball bounced at the plate and McNeese catcher Chloe Gomez reached to tag her out but the home plate umpire determined the Higbee was never tagged. With the Cowgirls starting to head to the dugout, Krause raced around the bases and scored on the wild pitch.
But the tie was short lived when Corine Poncho blasted a solo home run to lead off the sixth. The Cowgirls then scored two more on a Crislyne Moreno blooper down the line.
For Sanders, she hit a batter in the bottom half but McNeese ended the inning on a double play. She then retired the Colonels in order in the seventh.
Game 2 - Nicholls 1, McNeese 0
Reagan Heflin delivered the go-ahead RBI in the fifth and the Colonel defense turned a game-ending double play in the seventh to even the series with a 1-0 victory.
Abby Andersen set up the winning run with a leadoff pinch-hit double in the fifth, which helped chase starter Ryann Schexnayder out of the game. Shaelyn Sanders subbed in and forced a flyout before Heflin dropped a two-out hit in front of a diving defender in left for a 1-0 lead. The Colonels then got a big defensive play from catcher
Brynne Songy in the top of the sixth as she ended the inning with a caught stealing.
Molly Yoo carried a one-hitter into the seventh before Alexis Dibbley singled to lead off the frame. Following a foul out, Yoo hit the next batter to put runners on first and second with one down. Jada Munoz sent a fly ball to right field and it was hauled in by Heflin, who fired the ball to third to try to get the lead runner. But shortstop
Samantha Gwiazda leaped to cut off the throw, and Moreno was held up halfway between first and second. Gwiazda sprinted down the base line and tagged her out going back to first for a game-ending double play before Dibbley crossed home plate.
The defense was solid behind Yoo all game as she had only one strikeout. She retired the Cowgirls in order twice and faced just three batters in first after the defense turned a double play.
Heflin was the lone Colonel with two hits.
Claire Sisco,
Gabby Higbee and
Erin Krause all added singles.
