Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

THIBODAUX, La.  – The Nicholls State University softball team picked up a split in its Southland Conference doubleheader against Stephen F. Austin, taking the second game 4-2 after dropping the opener 2-1 Saturday at the Colonel Softball Complex.

The Colonels (12-17, 3-5) and Ladyjacks (10-19, 3-5) will wrap up the series Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for noon.

Game 1 – SFA 2, Nicholls 1

SFA took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth and the Colonels left five runners stranded the rest of the way as Nicholls fell in the opener, 2-1.

Senior Ashton Bennett suffered the loss, giving up two runs on 10 hits in seven innings. SFA's Carlie Thomas picked up the win, tossing all seven innings with one run on seven hits. Thomas fanned six Colonels in the win, improving her record to 7-8 while Bennett fell to 7-8.

Ashley Bertot and Alaina Guidry combined for four of the Colonels' seven hits. Bertot also scored the lone run for Nicholls, scoring on a RBI single up the middle by Brittany Marcet in the third.

After the Ladyjacks took the lead on two hits and an error in the fourth, Nicholls looked to have tied the game when Marcet crushed a home run to dead center; however, time was called by the home plate umpire before the pitch. Marcet ended up walking before the next three batters were retired.

In the seventh, Nicholls went down in order as Thomas finished the complete game.

Game 2 – Nicholls 4, SFA 2

The Colonels jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and freshman Hannah Haydel took care of the rest, holding SFA to three hits as Nicholls took game two, 4-2.

Haydel (5-6) earned her second straight victory, tossing seven innings without giving up an earned run. Haydel struck out one and walked four.

Bertot got things started for Nicholls, reaching base on an infield single in the first.  Leah Andrus, who had two hits in the game, gave Nicholls a 1-0 lead on a double to left center. With two down, Bennett made the score 3-0 with her third home run of the season.

Both offenses went scoreless until Marcet put Nicholls up 4-0 with a RBI double to right, bringing home Danielle Phillips who singled with one out.

With a comfortable four-run cushion, Haydel's hitless streak stopped on a base hit to lead off the seventh. Haydel gave up a leadoff single to start the game before holding SFA hitless over the next 5.2 innings.  The Ladyjacks ended up cutting the deficit in half before a soft liner to second ended the game.

Nicholls finished with eight hits, with Bertot extending her hitting streak to 11 games. Paige Miller and Courtney Vanlandingham rounded out the leaders with a hit each.

Angela White (3-11) took the loss, giving up four earned runs in six innings of work. White finished with nine strikeouts and walked two.

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