HATTIESBURG, Miss - For the second time in as many meetings this season, the Nicholls State University softball team hit two home runs against Southern Miss but once again, the Colonels fell short in a 5-4 loss Wednesday night at the USM Softball Complex. 

Kayleigh Lugowski gave Nicholls (19-13) a 2-1 lead in the fourth with her third homer of the year but Southern Miss (22-13) used three hits and two Colonel errors to take a 5-2 advantage in the fifth. Madison Moak hit a two-run homer in the seventh but the Colonels would leave the tying run on base as USM swept the season series.

Nicholls outhit the Golden Eagles, 6-4, but the three errors led to two unearned runs. Molly Yoo suffered the loss with three earned on four hits in 4.1 innings. Before the decisive fifth frame, Yoo had allowed just a solo homer to Hannah Christian in the third inning.

The Colonels took advantage of an USM error and three walks in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Claire Sisco was able to draw a bases loaded walk for the first run of the game.

After Southern Miss tied it in the third, Lugowski hit a towering shot to left to lead off the fourth. It marked her third long ball in her last eight games.

However, Southern Miss rallied in the fifth for four runs. Christian struck again with an RBI single, and an error on the play put USM up 3-2. Then after Ashley Little subbed in to pitch, another Colonel error allowed two more runs to score.

In the seventh, Sisco walked with one out to set up Moak's home run -- her second against her former squad. Lilianna Robledo added a two-out single but Kayla Giardina closed out the game with a groundout for her second save of the year.

Moak was the lone Colonel with a multi-hit day. Erin Krause and Gabby Higbee also singled in the loss.

ON DECK
Nicholls will head to Lamar for a three-game series, starting on Friday, March 27 with a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader.