HAMMOND, La. - The No. 3 seed Nicholls State University softball team struck first with two runs in the second, but No. 6 SFA answered with the next seven and held on for a 7-4 victory in the opening game of the Southland Conference Tournament on Thursday afternoon at North Oak Park.

With the loss, Nicholls (29-23) falls into the elimination portion of the Hammond Bracket and will face the loser of Thursday evening's matchup between No. 2 Southeastern and No. 7 HCU. Friday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Nicholls outhit SFA, 10-8, but the Ladyjacks were able to take advantage of several free passes by the Colonel pitching staff. After Nicholls scored on a Lilianna Robledo groundout and a Riley Rutherford sacrifice fly, SFA countered immediately in the third.

With one on and two outs, SFA (27-27) drew a walk and a hit-by-pitch to fill the bags. Ky'marri Ester then came through with a single to center to even the score. The Ladyjacks added one more on another run-scoring single. 

It was the same formula in the fourth as two leadoff walks resulted in an infield single for an RBI and another run on a sac fly for a 5-2 advantage. Then in the fifth, Adelyn Becer made it 6-1 with a run-scoring triple before an error put Nicholls down 7-2.

Nicholls was able to plate a run in the fifth and sixth innings. Molly VandenBout made it 7-3 with a sac fly in the fifth before Carmella Muccilli ripped an RBI single up the middle in the sixth. But the Colonels would leave two runners on to keep the deficit at three.

Reagan Heflin reached on an infield single in the seventh for her second hit of the day but Nicholls fell short with the comeback.

Molly Yoo was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on three hits in 2.2 innings. Sierra Ouellette gave up two runs in 0.2 innings while Averi Paden pitched 4.0 innings with one earned run on five hits.

Heflin and Rutherford led the Colonel offense with two hits apiece.

Alexis Telford earned the win for SFA while Brooke Gainous picked up the save.