THIBODAUX, La. – Southeastern Louisiana junior outfielder
Kalyn Watts hit two home runs, but it was not enough to allow the Lady Lions to avoid a doubleheader sweep at Nicholls in Southland Conference softball action Friday evening at the Colonel Softball Complex.
The Lady Lions (14-17, 3-5 Southland) had their five-game win streak snapped with Friday's losses. Nicholls improved to 21-11 overall and 7-1 in Southland play.
In the opener, Nicholls scored nine runs in the first three innings on the way to a 9-1 mercy-rule victory. Watts' performance was the lone bright spot for the Lady Lions, as the Hattiesburg, Mississippi native was 2-for-2 with a home run in the loss.
Nicholls rallied for a 4-3 victory in the nightcap, as Kasey Frederick hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Watts homered for the second straight game to run her team-high total to four, while junior infielder
Mahalia Gibson was 2-for-3 with an RBI triple. Lady Lion junior
Lacey Hill (6-6) took the tough luck loss, allowing just one earned run in the complete game effort.
The series will conclude with a 12 p.m. contest on Saturday. Live stats, provided by Nicholls, will be accessible via the softball schedule page at
www.LionSports.net.
Game One – Nicholls 9, Southeastern 1 (5 Innings)
Nicholls jumped out to a lead against junior
Rachel Hayes (5-6) in the bottom of the first inning. A double by Frederick plated the first two runs, then Jessica Taylor followed with an RBI triple to give the Colonels a 3-0 lead.
The Colonels added to their lead in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with one out. Taylor then ripped a sharp two-run single to run the Nicholls advantage to 5-0.
Nicholls took advantage of sloppy Lady Lion defense in the bottom of the third. The Colonels scored four unearned runs off of three SLU errors to extend their lead to 9-0.
SLU did not mount its first threat against Landry (11-5) until the top of the fourth inning. Gibson reached on an error, then freshman designated player
Mattie Ort singled to put a pair of runners on with one out. However, Landry retired junior infielders
Alli Daigle and
Grace DeLee to get out of the jam.
The Lady Lions avoided the shutout in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Watts lined her team-high third home run of the season over the left field fence to cut the final margin to 9-1.
Game Two – Nicholls 4, Southeastern Louisiana 3
Southeastern threatened right away, as singles by Gibson and Ort put a pair of runners on with two outs. However, Nicholls starter Jackie Johnson (8-6) retired Daigle to end the threat.
Nicholls took the lead in the second inning against Hill (6-6). Hill hit Frederick and walked Sydney Bourg to put a pair of runners on with no outs. One out later, Veronica Villafranco hit a single just out of the reach of diving junior centerfielder
Maddie Edmonston to score Frederick and stake the Colonels to a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Lions tied it up in the top of the fourth inning. McCoy drew a two-out walk and junior catcher
Carlie Whittington flared a double down the left field line. NSU left fielder Brooklyn Devine misplayed the ball, allowing McCoy to score the tying run from first.
Nicholls looked poised to answer in the bottom of the fourth, as Frederick walked and Bourg reached on an error to put a pair of runners on with no outs. Hill bounced back to retire the next three Colonels to keep the score tied.
SLU took its first lead of the day in the top of the fifth inning. Watts led off the frame with her second home run of the day – a towering solo shot over the left field fence. Later in the frame, Ramon drew a two-out walk and then scored on a triple into the right field corner by Gibson to give the Lady Lions a 3-1 lead.
Southeastern's lead would evaporate quickly, however. Samantha Mracich led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single, then Brooke Morris laid down a sacrifice bunt. Daigle's throw to first was wild and went all the way to the right field corner, allowing both runners to score to tie the score at 3-3.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Morris beat out an infield single, then Gianelloni lifted a deep fly ball that Watts was able to run down in the left field corner to save the winning run. However, Hill then walked Taylor before giving up the walk-off single to Frederick.
