Avery Paden throws a pitch in her no-hitter for Nicholls Softball vs East Texas A&M
Arief Harlan
0
East Texas AM ET 6-34, 1-14 SLC
8
Winner Nicholls NICH 22-16, 10-5 SLC
East Texas AM ET
6-34, 1-14 SLC
0
Final
8
Nicholls NICH
22-16, 10-5 SLC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
East Texas AM ET 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nicholls NICH 0 2 1 2 0 3 8 13 1

W: Paden, Averi (5-3) L: Muller, Maddie (1-11)

Game Recap: Softball |

Paden Tosses No-Hitter as Colonels Sweep East Texas A&M on Senior Day

THIBODAUX, La. - Senior Averi Paden struck out seven and walked just one batter en route to the her first career no-hitter as the Nicholls State University softball team celebrated Senior Day with an 8-0 victory in six innings against East Texas A&M on Friday at Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park.

Paden allowed just one Lion to reach base in the complete game effort. Tatum Wright reached on an error to start the game then Paden retired 17 straight batters before issuing a two-out walk to Wright in the sixth. 

Leading 5-0 heading into the bottom half, Nicholls (22-16, 10-5 SLC) ended the game early by scoring three runs with the last two coming on a walk-off bases loaded double by senior Kayleigh Lugowski. 

Nicholls run-ruled East Texas A&M (6-34, 1-14 SLC) for the third time in the series and extended its winning streak in the all-time series against the Lions to 11 games. 

Paden needed just 82 pitches en route to the program's first no-hitter since 2018 when Alexis LaBure and Megan Landry each had one. Paden flirted with a no-hitter in her shutout against Alcorn in 2024 with the lone hit being a bunt single.

With 12 seniors on the roster, second-year head coach Ron Frost fielded a whole lineup of seniors with Carmella Muccilli and Sydni Stevens getting the start. Muccilli kickstarted the Senior Day festivities with a two-run home run in the second inning -- the second homer of her career.

In the third inning, Reagan Heflin doubled in Lilianna Robledo for a 3-0 lead. Then in the fourth, Robledo drove in two runs on an infield single. Muccilli scored and Claire Sisco booked it from second on the play to put the Colonels up 5-0.

For the sixth, Madison Moak, Erin Krause and Robledo all singled to load the bases with no outs. Heflin drew a four-pitch walk for an RBI and with one down, Lugowski crushed a double to right center for two RBIs to end the game via the run-rule. 

Robledo and Lugowski totaled six of the Colonels' 13 hits as each had three apiece. Muccilli finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Maddie Muller was tagged with the loss, striking out three while walking four in 5.1 innings.

On Deck
Nicholls will head to Houston next weekend for a three-game series against HCU, starting Friday, April 10 with a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.Â