Alexa Poche' - Nicholls Softball
Jailen Leach
9
Winner Nicholls NICH 13-10
5
Northwestern State NSU 11-13
Winner
Nicholls NICH
13-10
9
Final
5
Northwestern State NSU
11-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Nicholls NICH 1 0 3 0 0 1 4 9 8 1
Northwestern State NSU 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 5 11 1

W: Yoo, Molly (4-3) L: Seely, Kenzie (5-6) S: Paden, Averi (1)

5
Winner Nicholls NICH 14-10
0
Northwestern State NSU 11-14
Winner
Nicholls NICH
14-10
5
Final
0
Northwestern State NSU
11-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Nicholls NICH 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 5 9 0
Northwestern State NSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2

W: McNeill, Audrey (6-6) L: Darr, Maggie (4-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Nicholls Softball sweeps Saturday doubleheader at Northwestern State

NATCHITOCHES, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team opened league play with a doubleheader sweep at Northwestern State with 9-5 and 5-0 victories on Saturday at Demon Diamond. 

With the wins, Nicholls improved to 14-10 overall and 2-0 in the Southland. The Colonels and Lady Demons (11-14, 0-2 SLC) will wrap up the series on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Game 1 - Nicholls 9, Northwestern State 5
The Colonels used multi-hit efforts by Riley Rutherford and Erin Krause as well as strong outing in the circle by Molly Yoo to take game one against NSU, 9-5.

The score was knotted in the sixth inning before Gabby Higbee drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. In the final inning, Nicholls added four insurance runs which included a two-run homer by Rutherford. Yoo left the game in the seventh but Averi Paden came in and picked up the save.

Yoo gave up five earned runs on 11 hits and struck out three in 6.0 innings. Paden was perfect in relief as she notched her first save of the year.

Nicholls jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Rutherford started her big day with an RBI single. After NSU took the lead in the bottom half, the Colonels plated three runs in the third for a 4-2 advantage. Krause and Samantha Gwiazda set up the inning with Reagan Heflin driving in two on a double. 

In the fifth, the Lady Demons tied the game on a two-run double by Tristin Court. But Yoo was able to keep the score tied by striking out the final two batters to leave two stranded. 

NSU loaded the bases in the sixth with one down but Yoo escaped from another jam with the help of her defense. Following out No. 2, Gwiazda made a highlight catch in foul territory to end the frame. 

Trailing by five runs, the Lady Demons added one in the bottom of the seventh but it was not near enough. 

Game 2 - Nicholls 5, Northwestern State 0

Audrey McNeill recorded a career-high nine strikeouts and allowed just two hits in her shutout win over Northwestern State.

While McNeill was on cruise control, the Colonels scored a run in the second before Rutherford doubled in a run for a 2-0 advantage. Then in the fifth, Alexa Poche' smacked a three-run home run to make the final. 

McNeill allowed two singles to Taylor Williams but had a stretch of 16 consecutive batters retired between the hits. Her nine strikeouts were fueled by a dominant fifth inning where she fanned all three batters.

Molly VandenBout led the offense with three hits while Rutherford and Poche' had two each.