LAKE CHARLES, La. - For the second time in as many days, the Nicholls State University softball team trailed late against No. 2 McNeese before rallying back in final two innings, but once again, the comeback fell a run short as the No. 3 Colonels saw their season come to an end with a 7-6 loss in the Lake Charles Bracket on Sunday afternoon.
With the loss, Nicholls finished the season with a 31-23 overall record. For the second straight year, the Colonels reached the bracket championship round after winning two games for the fourth consecutive postseason.Â
McNeese (38-19) will host No. 5 Lamar next weekend for a three-game series with the winner receiving the Southland's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The matchup with the Cowgirls started out as a pitcher's duel as the game was tied 1-1 through four innings. The Colonels'
Averi Paden and McNeese's Brookelyn Taylor each allowed three hits during the span.
McNeese struck first with a double and a sacrifice fly in the opening frame, but Nicholls answered in the second.
Lilianna Robledo smoked a double into the right center gap and after a sac bunt, scored on a
Gabby Higbee groundout.
In McNeese's next two innings, Paden got some help from her defense. On a deep fly ball to right,
Reagan Heflin made the catch and rifled a perfect throw to first to double up the runner trying to get back. Then in the third,
Erin Krause caught two rockets at third base to keep the score at 1-1.
But in the fifth, a two-out error helped McNeese grab the momentum. With the go-ahead runner now on second, Kassidy Chance delivered an RBI double for the lead. Following an infield single, Cloud notched a base hit for two more Cowgirl runs and a 4-1 advantage.
The Colonels responded immediately as
Madison Moak doubled to lead off the sixth. Krause then hit her fifth homer of the season, clearing the right field wall to cut the deficit to 4-3.
McNeese got the two runs back and added one more against
Molly Yoo in the bottom half. The Cowgirls had four hits in the inning and Chance came through with another double for two runs. She led McNeese by going 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs.
Down to their final two outs in the seventh,
Brynne Songy started the rally for the Colonels with a base hit to center field and pinch-hitter
Sydni Stevens followed with a single up the middle. After a fielder's choice made the second out, Moak reached on an infield single which brought the score to 7-4.
Facing a 2-2 count, Krause kept the Colonels' hopes alive with a double in the left-center gap, driving in two more runs. But with the tying run on second, McNeese's Maddie Taylor forced a grounder to third to pick up the save and send the Cowgirls to the championship series.
For the Colonels, Moak led the offense with three hits and two runs scored, while Krause was 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Krause's final swing as a Colonel gave her 125 RBIs for her career, tying Amanda Gianelloni's program record of 125. The late double also drove in
Claire Sisco who set a new program career record with 167 runs scored.
Paden took the loss with one earned run on six hits in 4.2 innings and struck out two.Â
