BEAUMONT, Texas - The Nicholls State University softball team suffered only its second shutout in a 5-0 loss to Lamar to open the series, then the Colonels fell in eight innings in a 4-1 setback in Friday's doubleheader at the LU Softball Complex.

The series loss was the first for the Colonels (19-15, 7-4 SLC) this season and snapped a nine-series winning streak dating back to last season. The Colonels and Lamar (20-15, 7-4 SLC) will wrap up the series on Saturday with a 12:00 PM first pitch on ESPN+.

Game 1 - Lamar 5, Nicholls 0

The Cardinals took an early lead with a solo home run in the first before adding four insurance runs in the sixth to take the series opener. 

Molly Yoo pitched 5.0 innings in the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and struck out three. Ashley Little gave up two hits in 1.0 innings.

Nicholls had a chance to score early when Madison Moak singled followed by an Erin Krause walk. Then with two down, Reagan Heflin loaded the bases with a single but LU's Reagan Smith got out of the inning unscathed. 

In the bottom half, Isabella Flores hit a deep fly to center out of the park for a 1-0 advantage.

The Colonels stranded two more runners in fourth before Lamar broke the game open in the sixth with four hits for four runs.

Smith held the Colonels to four hits in the victory. Helfin accounted for two of the hits while Gabby Higbee added a single. 

Game 2 - Lamar 4, Nicholls 1 (8 inn.)

Sierra Ouellette came out on the wrong end of a pitcher's duel as Lamar clinched the series with a walk-off three-run homer by Riley Whitney for a 4-1 victory in eight innings.

Ouellette and Madison Guidry kept the offenses off the scoreboard through four innings before Gracee Hess doubled for a 1-0 Lamar lead in the fifth. But Nicholls answered immediately in the sixth with a sacrifice fly by Nevanna Smith. Krause and Heflin singled to set up the game-tying run.

In the extra frame, LU put two on with a single and an error before Whitney ended the game with a home run.

Heflin had another two-hit game while Kayleigh Lugowski added a single.

Ouellette struck out four in 7.1 innings and gave up nine hits. Guidry allowed four hits and struck out three in 8.0 innings.