YOUNGSVILLE, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team started play in the annual Mardi Gras Mambo with a 10-2 victory over Eastern Illinois in six innings but could not pick up the Friday sweep after falling 4-0 to St. Thomas in the nightcap at the Youngsville Sports Complex.

Nicholls (3-3) will continue play in the tournament on Saturday against Georgia State (3 p.m.) and New Mexico (5 p.m.). 

G1 - Nicholls 10, EIU 2 (6 inn.)

Behind a strong outing by Molly Yoo and timely hitting, the Colonels notched their second-straight run-rule win with a 10-2 walkoff victory over the Panthers.

Yoo gave up a run on a two-out double in the second for the game's first run before the Colonels' bats got going with multi-run innings in the final four frames. 

In the third, Ally Mooneyham started the scoring with an infield single, scoring Laylin Sturm who earlier walked and stole second. Erin Krause followed by dropping a single in center to give Nicholls a 2-1 lead. The Colonels added another run in the inning on an error.

A leadoff double by Alisha Frederick made way for another Panther run in the fourth, but a double play limited any further damage. In the bottom half, Nicholls got the run back and added one more. A Sturm double with one on set up a Claire Sisco infield RBI single, then both runners were safe on a double steal.

After Yoo fielded three straight tappers back to the circle to retire EIU in the fifth, Nicholls pieced together another three-run frame. A free pass and an error led to a Reagan Heflin two-run single. Brynne Songy then made it 8-2 with an RBI single to right.

For the final inning, the Colonels drew two walks and Sisco bunted for another hit to fill the bags. Krause drove in a run on a sacrifice fly then with the bases loaded again and one down, Heflin lifted a fly ball to right for a walk-off sac fly. 

Nicholls totaled eight hits led by Sisco's multi-hit effort. Sturm crossed the plate three times and walked twice.

Yoo struck out three in 6.0 innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits.

G2 - St. Thomas 4, Nicholls 0

St. Thomas broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with consecutive two-run innings and the Colonels were held without a run for the first time in a 4-0 loss in Game 2.

Nicholls had scoring opportunities with a runner on second and one out in the second and third innings but came up empty both times against Ella Cook. That turned out to be the theme of the game as she finished with a three-hit shutout.

Freshman hurler Ashley Little had her own shutout going after four innings but the Tommies cracked the scoring column in the fifth. Brier Blietz doubled in the first run before a passed ball made it 2-0. Averi Paden subbed in and was able to keep the deficit at two after leaving the bases full. 

But in the sixth, St. Thomas' Abbi Stierlen belted a two-run shot down the left field line to double the lead. 

Nicholls put two runners on in the seventh before Cook finished off the shutout.

The Colonels had three hits, getting singles by Krause, Sturm and Gabby Higbee. Little struck out three and allowed three hits in 4.1 innings of work.