THIBODAUX, La. – In a game that featured 22 hits, eight errors and four lead changes sandwiched around a four-hour plus rain delay, Nicholls held off a Southeastern Louisiana rally for a 9-7 victory in the Southland Conference softball series finale Saturday afternoon at the Colonel Softball Complex.
 
The Lady Lions (14-18, 3-6 Southland) lost their third straight game, despite finishing with 13 hits. Nicholls (22-11, 8-1 Southland) completed the series sweep, thanks in large part to seven unearned runs scored off four Lady Lion errors.
 
Southeastern junior Grace DeLee led the Lady Lions with three hits, while junior infielder Alli Daigle, freshman infielder Ali McCoy and junior outfielder Kalyn Watts each collected two hits. Watts and Daigle each drove in two runs, while freshman designated player Mattie Ort led SLU with two runs scored. Every Lady Lion starter in the lineup had at least one hit or one run scored.
 
The Lady Lions took the lead against Nicholls ace Megan Landry in the top of the first inning. Consecutive singles by junior outfielder Maddie Edmonston, junior infielder Mahalia Gibson, Ort and Daigle plated a run and chased Landry from the game.
 
Jackie Johnson (9-6) came in and limited the damage for the Colonels, retiring McCoy and junior catcher Carlie Whittington to keep SLU's lead at 1-0.
 
Nicholls tied it up with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning against sophomore Caitlyn VanHemelryck. Brooke Morris reached on a one-out error by Daigle, then later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jessica Taylor to tie the score at 1-1.
 
Southeastern retook the lead with an unearned run of its own in the top of the second inning. Sophomore shortstop Jaquelyn Ramon reached on a two-out error by Nicholls shortstop Amanda Gianelloni, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Edmonston reached on a throwing error by third baseman Haley Stevenson to put SLU back up, 2-1.
 
Two more unearned runs allowed the Colonels to take the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Brooklyn Devine took advantage of a SLU error and later scored on an RBI single by Moriah Strother. Strother would eventually score on a ground out by Morris to put Nicholls ahead, 3-2.
 
The Lady Lions once again answered in their half of the third inning. Ort drew a leadoff walk and was bunted to second by Daigle. An infield single by McCoy put runners on the corners with one out.
 
Whittington then hit a comebacker to Johnson, who threw home looking to get Ort, but her throw was wide, allowing Ort to score and putting a pair of runners in scoring position. Watts then cleared the bases with a double, scoring a pair and giving the Lady Lions a 5-3 lead.
 
Nicholls retook the lead in the bottom of the third inning, again as the result of unearned runs. Taylor reached on an error, Devine singled and Strother walked to load the bases with two outs. SLU freshman Tanner Wright then hit Stevenson to force in a run, then Samantha Mracich greeted SLU senior Kasey Nielson (0-1) with a two-run single that gave the Colonels a 6-5 advantage.
 
At that point, heavy thunderstorms rolled through the Thibodaux area. The game was delayed over four hours before resuming in the top of the fourth inning.
 
After the delay, Southeastern answered with another run. With two outs, Johnson hit Ort to put the tying run aboard. On the next pitch, Daigle laced a double into the left centerfield gap. Ort was off with the pitch and slid around the tag of Strother to tie the game at 6-6.
 
Nicholls was back in front in the bottom of the fourth inning. Frederick chased Nielson with a one-out double. One out later, Bourg hit a sharp single to left field. Frederick took too wide of a turn at third and was caught in a run down. However, Daigle's throw home was wild, allowing Frederick to score the go-ahead run.
 
Southeastern was poised to answer, as DeLee and Ramon collected back-to-back two-out singles. Edmonston then reached on an error by Morris, but Morris had the presence of mind to throw out DeLee trying to score all the way from second to end the inning.
 
Nicholls added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. A sacrifice fly by Gianelloni and an RBI single by Frederick extended the Colonel lead to 9-6.
 
After Johnson and SLU junior Lacey Hill matched zeroes in the sixth, the Lady Lions mounted one last threat in the top of the seventh inning, as Nicholls brought Landry back in to close it out. McCoy led off the inning with a single, then Landry walked Whittington and Watts to load the bases. DeLee then singled home McCoy to pull Southeastern within, 9-7, and leaving the bases loaded with no outs.
 
Landry recovered, however, to earn her first save of the season. She snagged a line drive by Ramon, struck out Edmonston and forced Gibson to foul out to get out of the jam and close out the series sweep.
 
SLU will return home to host Lamar for a three-game Southland Conference series at North Oak Park. The series opens with a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Friday and concludes with a 12 p.m. contest on Saturday. Live video (no audio) will be accessible to LionVision subscribers at www.LionSports.net/watch.