THIBODAUX, La. - Following a weekend off and a matchup with nationally-ranked LSU, the Nicholls State University softball team returns to Southland Conference play with a three-game series at Lamar, starting Thursday with a single game at 5:30 p.m.

With the Easter holiday this weekend, the teams will wrap up the series on Friday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. All three games can be watched on ESPN+.

Nicholls (17-15, 4-2 SLC) had just two hits in its home bout with the No. 6 Tigers on Tuesday and will look to improve its .199 team batting average in league play through six games. Erin Krause has totaled five hits in the two SLC series for a .333 batting average, while three other Colonels -- Riley Rutherford, Reagan Heflin, and Alexa Poche' -- lead the offense with four RBIs. Rutherford also has five hits, including one of the Colonels' two homers in the conference. 

While the offense aims to get going, the pitching staff has been just as difficult for the opposition in Southland play. Audrey McNeill and Molly Yoo have tossed all but one inning in the two series, with Averi Paden seeing an inning of work, combining for a 1.67 ERA and a .200 batting average. McNeill was dominant in the Colonels' league opening sweep at Northwestern State as she fired two shutouts with 16 strikeouts. Yoo had an outstanding performance as well in her win against defending champion McNeese, tossing a two-hit shutout to snap an eight-game losing streak in the series against the Cowgirls.

Lamar (22-10) is off to a great start overall as they have matched their win total from a season ago. In its Southland slate, LU has won eight of its nine games to sit in first place. The Cardinals opened up with a sweep against HCU before taking two of three against Northwestern State. Lamar made easy work of the Lions of A&M-Commerce last weekend, winning all three games with a combined score of 23-2. 

One of the stars in the last series was Karyana Mitchell, who tossed a five-inning no-hitter in a 10-0 victory. After being named SLC Pitcher of the Week, she went on to hurl another complete game with seven strikeouts to lead LU in a 4-2 win over UTSA on Tuesday.

Lamar posts a .280 average in conference and is led by Kalyn Xayaseng's nine hits for a .450 average. She started league play with a pair of 2-for-3 games and has a hit in seven of the nine contests.

Nicholls took the series against Lamar last season in Thibodaux behind a shutout by McNeill, as well as an extra-inning walk-off win on a Claire Sisco base knock. However, the Cardinals ended the Red and Gray's season with a seventh-inning rally for a 5-4 victory in the Southland Conference Tournament.