Colonels’ clean sweep, storm into 1st place

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The Nicholls State University softball team knew its weekend series with Northwestern State was huge — a chance to make a statement in the quest to repeat as Southland Conference Champions.

And they delivered — in a big, big way.

The Colonels swept the Demons out of town this weekend, a crucial three-game streak that could go a long way in positioning the Colonels in the Southland standings.


Before this weekend, Northwestern was in first-place in the Southland Conference standings. But after losing three-straight in Thibodaux, it’s now Nicholls who holds the top spot, leading a massive pack of rivals who are nipping at their heels for the top spot in the highly competitive league.

This weekend was arguably as good as Nicholls has played all season.

The Colonels came out of the gates smoking in Friday night’s series opener, scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to an easy 10-0 mercy rule (6 innings) win.


Kasey Frederick and Samantha Dares had RBI triples in the rally, which flustered the Lady Demons. They took starting pitcher E.C. Delafield out of the game before recording a single out.

The early insurance was plenty for Nicholls pitcher Megan Landry, who continued adding to her record-setting resume in the opening-game win.

Landry posted a complete-game shutout on Friday against the Demons, allowing just 4 hits and a walk, throwing 99 pitches in the comfortable win.


After the five-run first, Nicholls scored two in the third to go up 7-0, then ended the game with Dares launched a moonshot home run over the fence in left field to plate three and end the game.

But Nicholls was just getting started.

After an unexpected late-night game on Friday — a delay to allow field crews time to get Thursday’s rains off the field — the teams returned on Saturday for a doubleheader.


And Nicholls dominated again.

In the first game, Landry was stellar again, earning another complete-game win, scattering 8 hits in seven innings in a 5-1 victory.

In that game, the Colonels jumped ahead early again, scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning to go up 2-0.


After a pitcher’s duel, Northwestern State broke the ice with a run in the top of the fifth to trim the lead to 2-1.

But then, Nicholls roared with a three-run rally in the bottom half of the inning to put the game away for good.

The Demons had chances late, recording base runners in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Landry never batted an eye, weaving out of trouble to secure the series victory.


Then, the Colonels got the sweep.

In the back-end of Saturday’s doubleheader, Nicholls again pounced on Northwestern from the first pitch, scoring four runs in the first inning to take a lead they’d never surrender.

With Landry’s powerful arm on ice, the Colonels turned to Emily Danehower in the circle and she delivered, weaving through the Demons offense in stride to power the team.


Like Landry, she, too, pitched a complete game, allowing just seven hits and one run in a 6-1 win.

With the victories, the Colonels are now 9-3 in Southland Conference play — atop the crowded standings via winning percentage.

But Nicholls doesn’t have much time to admire its work.


The Colonels will play two conference series this week — a six games in five days stretch that will challenge the team’s depth.

Nicholls started a series with Incarnate Word on Tuesday with a doubleheader. No score was available for those two games at press-time on Monday. They will also play today at 4 p.m. in Thibodaux.

That series was supposed to be played a few weekends ago, but was completely washed out by inclement weather.


Nicholls will then host Houston Baptist on Friday and Saturday. Friday will be a doubleheader with game one beginning at 5 p.m. and game two set for 7 p.m.

Saturday’s finale is set for 1 p.m.

Both Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist are beatable — at the bottom of the standings. Sweeping those six games — or even taking five out of six — would go a long way in allowing the Colonels to repeat as Southland Conference Champions.


See the full, crowded Southland Conference standings below.

Nicholls: 9-3


Sam Houston State: 11-4

McNeese: 11-4

Southeastern: 10-5


Lamar: 10-5

Stephen F. Austin: 9-6

Northwestern State: 9-6


Central Arkansas: 7-8

Houston Baptist: 4-11

A&M-Corpus Christi: 3-12


Incarnate Word: 2-10

Abilene Christian: 2-13

Nicholls softball


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