THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team won both games of its regular-season finale doubleheader against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, taking the opener 7-1 before winning the final game, 1-0, to earn a series sweep of the Islanders on Saturday at Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park.

Nicholls (29-24, 16-8 SLC) recognized its six-member Senior Class after the doubleheader. In Game 2, all six started including pitcher Audrey McNeill who tossed her second shutout of the weekend.

The Colonels currently sit in third in the standings with UIW and Northwestern State scheduled to play on Sunday. If UIW wins, Nicholls will be the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament in Hammond, Louisiana. If UIW loses or the game is not played, the Colonels will be the No. 3 seed. 

Game 1 - Nicholls 7, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
Nicholls doubled up the Islanders in hits and pulled away late to clinch the series with a 7-1 victory.

In the circle, Molly Yoo fanned five and allowed five hits in 5.1 innings for the win. Averi Paden tossed 1.2 hitless innings for her second save of the season.

Nicholls took a 1-0 lead in the second when Carmella Muccilli laid down a squeeze bunt to bring home Gabby Higbee. Then in the fifth, Reagan Heflin made it 3-0 with a two-run single to center.

Yoo shut out the Islander through five but gave up an RBI double to Monee Montilla. Paden subbed in and retired the next two batters to keep the 3-1 lead.

In the bottom half, Nicholls produced four hits for a 7-1 advantage. Higbee started the scoring with a double off the center field wall, then Andersen stroked a single for two more runs. Erin Krause brought in the fourth run on a fielder's choice. 

Paden hit a batter in the seventh before ending the game with a strikeout.

Andersen, Heflin and Higbee each finished with two hits to lead the Colonels. 

Game 2 - Nicholls 1, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 0
Senior Alexa Poche' drove in the game's lone run in the first inning and it was more than enough for classmate Audrey McNeill in the Colonels' 1-0 victory.

McNeill polished off her senior weekend with her second three-hit shutout against her former squad. She racked up seven strikeouts in the win, giving her 15 for the series.

Heflin set up Poche' after singling with one out and moving to second on a groundout. Poche' smacked the first pitch back up the middle for the early advantage.

McNeill stranded a runner on third in the third and fifth innings, then ran into trouble in the sixth. The Islanders produced back-to-back one-out singles but McNeill got two flyouts to center to keep the score 1-0. In the seventh, she struck out the first and third batters to complete the shutout victory.

In addition to McNeill and Poche, seniors Abby Andersen, Samantha Gwiazda and Syndee Shelton also chipped in on Senior Day with a base hit. Mckenzie Champagne did not have a hit but reached base on a walk. The single up the middle for Shelton was her first hit this season in 10 at-bats. 

Malia Williams had a strong showing in the loss, strikeout out two with six hits allowed in 6.0 innings.