Nicholls Softball McNeill
Audrey McNeill was one of six seniors who wrapped up their career as a Colonel
4
Winner McNeese MCN 40-19
3
Nicholls NICH 31-26
Winner
McNeese MCN
40-19
4
Final
3
Nicholls NICH
31-26
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
McNeese MCN 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 4 7 0
Nicholls NICH 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 6 0

W: Sanders, Shaelyn (20-10) L: McNeill, Audrey (14-13)

Game Recap: Softball |

Colonels suffer setback in extras against McNeese in SLC Tourney

HAMMOND, La. - For the sixth time this season, the Nicholls State University softball team went into extra innings but unlike in four of those games, the Colonels came up short as No. 1 McNeese defeated No. 3 Nicholls, 4-3, in eight innings in an elimination Southland Conference Tournament contest on Thursday evening at North Oak Park. 

Nicholls led 2-0 in the first and 3-1 in the fourth before the Cowgirls evened it up with two runs in the fifth. In the extra frame, Bella Perez tripled with two outs to give McNeese a 4-3 advantage. The Colonels were retired in order as Southland Pitcher of the Year Shaelyn Sanders finished off the complete game.

With the loss, Nicholls wraps up the season with a 31-26 overall record -- its first 30-win campaign since 2019. The Colonels also won two postseason games for the second straight year. McNeese (40-19) advances to Thursday evening's matchup against No. 4 UIW for a spot in the championship.

Averi Paden was solid in her start in the circle, going 5.0 innings with three earned runs on five hits. She struck out two and walked one. Senior Audrey McNeill finished out the game with one run on two hits, striking out two while walking two.

Nicholls jumped all over Sanders in the first, starting with a leadoff single by senior Abby Andersen. With one down, senior Alexa Poche' ripped a liner down the first base line and it rolled into the corner, allowing for a stand-up RBI triple. She then scored on a Katy Sanders groundout for a 2-0 Colonel lead.

Paden retired McNeese in order in the first inning but was greeted with a solo home run by Alexis Dibbley to start the second. 

In the fourth, Gabby Higbee started a two-out rally with a double and it resulted in a 3-1 lead. Claire Sisco put down a bunt for a single and Lilianna Robledo followed with a walk. Senior Mckenzie Champagne pinch hit and drew a bases loaded walk for the RBI. 

But McNeese answered immediately in the fifth to tie it up. Kelsey Gaspard pinch hit for an RBI double before a groundout tied the game at 3-3. 

Nicholls put the leadoff runner on in the sixth and seventh innings but could not produce a run. Sanders singled in the sixth before Molly VandenBout pinch hit for a base knock to left in the seventh. 

After McNeese took the lead in the eighth, Poche' sent a towering shot to the deepest part of the park and it barely stayed in play for the first out of the inning. McNeese's Sanders got Nicholls' Sanders to flyout before she notched her fifth strikeout to end the game.