THIBODAUX, La. - Riding a six-game winning streak, the Nicholls State University softball team will make its home debut against Southern Miss on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park.
First pitch for the contest is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and the game will stream on ESPN+. In addition to being the home opener, Wednesday will be Bark at the Park as all dogs are welcomed and Pup Cups will be provided at the gate while supplies last. Dogs will be free to run on the field 20 minutes after the conclusion of the game (please pick up all dog waste!).
Nicholls (9-3) is coming off a perfect weekend where they went 3-0 at the Trojan Invitational, highlighted by a 6-5 win over host Troy. The Colonels led 6-1 before holding on to the victory against the Trojans, which were ranked No. 20 in the Mid-Major Top 25. Nicholls also picked up run-rule wins No. 3 and 4 of the season in defeating Kennesaw State and Furman.
In the three games, Nicholls posted a .412 batting average and scored 30 runs with nine doubles, a triple and a home run. The lone long ball was courtesy of
Reagan Heflin, who was later named Southland Conference Hitter of the Week. In her three contests, Heflin batted .600 and drove in seven runs.
For the season, Heflin is one of seven starters who have a .300 or better batting average.
Erin Krause leads all hitters with a .432 average, followed by
Claire Sisco (.419) and
Laylin Sturm (.375).
Madison Moak has a .345 average and is leading the squad with five doubles. Moak spent last season at Southern Miss after playing two years at Co-Lin.
In the circle, seniors
Averi Paden and
Molly Yoo have been the primary starters, with
Ashley Little adding 16 innings with four starts. Along with her 1.85 ERA, Paden has been stellar with her control with 18 strikeouts versus only one walk. Yoo leads the staff with 28 strikeouts in 33.1 innings.
Southern Miss (7-8) heads to Thibodaux after dropping a series at Louisiana Tech. The Golden Eagles took Friday's opener, 2-1, but were run-ruled on Saturday before falling in the finale on Sunday. Last Tuesday, USM dropped an 8-6 game against Southland member McNeese.
Kinsley Gordon-Sivley heads the Southern Miss offense at .351 while Nealy McManus has a team-high 15 RBIs. In the circle, Kayla Giardina has seen the bulk of the action with a 2.48 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.
