MONTGOMERY, Ala. - After a 5-3 loss to North Alabama in the season opener, the Nicholls State University softball team immediately bounced back with a 5-2 victory over Alabama State in the Stingers Classic.

The win for Nicholls (1-1) was the first for head coach Ron Frost, who took over the program this season after being assistant coach for the previous three years.

The Colonels will wrap up the weekend with rematches on Saturday, starting at noon against North Alabama. 

Game 1 - North Alabama 5, Nicholls 3

The Colonels scored twice in the opening inning and outhit UNA, 7-5, but came up short in their opening game with a 5-3 loss.

Nicholls started the game with singles by Claire Sisco and Erin Krause and went up 2-0 after a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout. Krause led the offense with two hits in the contest.

Facing newcomer Sierra Ouellette, the Lions got one back in the bottom half and then tied the score in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Averi Paden took over in the circle and kept the game tied with a force out at home and a strikeout.

In the fourth, Molly VandenBout blooped a single to right to bring home Riley Rutherford who doubled with one out. But in the bottom of the frame, UNA used two hits and an error to take a 5-3 advantage.

Paden and UNA's Alivia Wilken then shut out the offenses the rest of the way. Paden tossed 4.2 innings with three hits allowed and struck out three.

Game 2 - Nicholls 5, Alabama State 2

Riley Rutherford went 4-for-4 at the plate while Molly Yoo threw a complete game as Nicholls took down host Alabama State, 5-2.

Opposite of the opener, Nicholls fell behind 2-0 in the first thanks to two ASU hits and two errors. But in the third, the Colonels pounded out four hits to tie the game. Krause doubled in the first run before Reagan Heflin singled to tie it up.

Following a three-up, three-down third inning from Molly Yoo in the circle, the Colonels pieced together another two-run frame in the fourth. Carmella Muccilli led off the inning with a single and stole second and third, then Laylin Sturm drove her home with a base hit. Nicholls added another run on an error.

The Colonels tacked on one more run in the seventh. Rutherford singled for her fourth hit of the game and later scored on a Sturm fielder's choice. Yoo allowed a one-out single in the bottom half before closing out her complete game.

Yoo scattered eight hits and struck out three. At the plate, freshman Ally Mooneyham had two of the Colonels' 11 hits.