BEAUMONT, Texas - Gabby Higbee hit a two-run double with two outs to break a 1-1 tie in the 13th inning as the Nicholls State University softball team took Game 1 against first-place Lamar with a 4-1 victory in extra innings Thursday night at the LU Softball Complex. 

After pounding out 12 hits through 12 innings but stranding 11 runners, the Colonels finally broke through after the teams combined for five scoreless frames. With one on, freshman Laylin Sturm started the big inning with a pinch-hit double down the line to put runners in scoring position. Then with two down, Higbee stroked a 3-1 pitch off of Karyana Mitchell into the right-center gap for two RBIs. Nicholls plated one more before Averi Paden allowed a two-out double in the bottom half before closing out the victory.

Higbee was one of five Colonels with multi-hit efforts, with Reagan Heflin and Alexa Poche' leading the way with three each. With the game tied at 0-0 in the sixth, Heflin tripled to bring home Claire Sisco for the go-ahead run. 

Audrey McNeill was cruising along in the circle by holding Lamar to just two hits through six innings but the Cardinals were able to rally and tie the game in the seventh. A one-out single turned into a triple when Heflin slipped trying to field the ball in right field. Roxy Thompson then followed with an RBI single to end the shutout and force extra innings. 

McNeill 's night finished in the 12th when she walked two after retiring the first two batters to start the inning. Paden subbed in and walked the bases loaded before getting a grounder to short to end the inning. 

McNeill totaled eight strikeouts and walked four while surrendering six hits in 11.2 innings. The innings pitched were a new career high, passing her eight-inning complete game against Lamar last season. 

Mitchell suffered the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of relief. 

ON DECK
Nicholls and Lamar will wrap up the series on Friday with a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m.