THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team scored seven runs in the first two innings of its Southland opener and went on to defeat Stephen F. Austin, 8-3, but the Lumberjacks used their own big inning in the nightcap to split the doubleheader with a 6-2 defeat of the Colonels Friday on Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park.

Nicholls (11-10, 1-1 SLC) and SFA (15-9, 1-1 SLC) will conclude the series on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.

Game 1 - Nicholls 8, SFA 3

Reagan Heflin belted a two-run homer to highlight a five-run first inning and Molly Yoo tossed a complete game as the Colonels took the opener over SFA.

Nicholls racked up eight hits in the first two innings to jump out to a commanding 7-0 lead. Madison Moak doubled in the first run, Erin Krause followed with an RBI single, then Heflin smacked her second home run of the season over the center field wall. The Colonels added the fifth run via a throwing error.

In the second, Brynne Songy dropped a single down in left field to plate Moak and Krause.

Yoo cruised through the lineup until Malia Jones hit a solo homer to end the shutout. SFA added four more hits in the frame and scored two additional runs before Yoo got a swinging strikeout to leave two runners on. 

The Colonels played small ball in the sixth with three consecutive bunts leading to an RBI groundout by Songy to make the final.

Yoo struck out nine and scattered seven hits in seven innings of work. Crimson Bryant also threw a complete game, giving up 12 hits and struck out four.

Moak finished 3-for-3 while Sisco, Heflin and Ally Mooneyham all had two hits each.

Game 2 - SFA 6, Nicholls 2

With the game tied at 2-2 in the sixth, SFA got a bases-clearing triple by Kaylee Paul to take the lead and the Lumberjacks picked up a split with a Game 2 victory.

Krause led the Colonels with two hits, and her second gave Nicholls a brief 2-1 advantage in the fifth. SFA answered right back with a leadoff triple and a wild pitch tied the game. After three straight walks, Paul delivered the big hit for the visitors.

Laylin Sturm reached on an infield single in the seventh for her second hit but it would be all Nicholls could get against Kai Hudson the rest of the way.

Averi Paden took the loss with three runs on three hits in 5.1 innings. She finished with two strikeouts and walked four. Hudson fanned three for SFA and allowed five hits.