HOUSTON - Trailing 1-0 through four innings, the Nicholls State University softball team took the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth before plating nine in the seventh as the Colonels secured the series at HCU with a 12-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Husky Field.

While the series ended a stretch of the three consecutive sweeps, two in the Colonels' favor, Nicholls (24-17, 12-6 SLC) continued its solid play in conference with its 11th series victory in the last 12. The Colonels will have a quick turnaround this week, hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a midweek series starting on Tuesday at Swanner Field.

Nicholls racked up 16 hits in the win over HCU (6-32, 3-15 SLC) with nine coming in the final inning. Carmella Muccilli capped the scoring with a grand slam which was her third home run of the year. 

After putting her name in the record books with her 200th career hit on Friday, Claire Sisco matched the single-game hits record by going 4-for-4 in the finale. Reagan Heflin added three hits while Laylin Sturm and Kayleigh Lugowski had two each.

The Huskies used two hits to score a sacrifice fly against Molly Yoo in the second, but the senior lefty went on to shut out HCU the rest of the way. She struck out two and allowed seven hits en route to her second complete game of the weekend.

Similar to Saturday's loss, Nicholls put runners on through the first four innings but stranded five. Then in the fifth, Sturm walked before Sisco reached on an infield single to start the frame but HCU retired the next two batters with hopes of keeping the lead. Lugowski hit a grounder back to the circle but Sturm was called safe at home on the throw to tie it at 1-1. Heflin followed with an RBI single through the left side for the 2-1 advantage.

Sisco added an RBI single in the sixth, plating Sturm who had two steals in the game. 

In the seventh, Lilianna Robledo extended the lead with a two-run bases loaded single. Gabby Higbee, Sturm, and Sisco followed with RBI singles before Muccilli blasted a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall to make the final. 

Karlie Barba led HCU with two hits while Chloe Foster had an RBI.