Pitching large key to Lady Colonels’ success

As Lacey Gros stands in the pitching circle, her Nicholls State Lady Colonel softball teammates sing their rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “It Doesn’t Matter” from the dugout.

The vocalists continue their high spirits throughout the entire game by continuing their songs each time she sets to deliver a pitch.

It’s a sign of just how good things are in Colonel Country right now, and it’s something head coach Jenny Parsons doesn’t mind hearing, especially now.

Behind solid pitching from the junior, who is currently 9-2 with a 1.23 ERA on the season, and junior Audrey Wood, who is 7-3 overall with a 1.77 ERA, the Lady Colonels are off to one of their best starts in school history at 16-5 and 6-0 in the Southland Conference after this past weekend’s sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

In their young season, Parsons has described Gros as “virtually unhittable” so far, but also credited Wood for being the relief when Gros needs it.

By the end of last Wednesday’s game against the Southeastern Lions, Gros had notched 12 strikeouts. How did she celebrate?

By icing down her arm in preparation for her weekend start against the Lady Islanders.

“We’ve been unbelievable on the mound so far,” Parsons said. “We have two very good pitchers who are capable of carrying us a very long way.”

In two starts against the Lions, Gros surrendered just five hits and one run. In those two games, she also fanned 22 batters.

The Lady Colonels’ early season success includes victories over schools from the Big East (Providence) and Conference USA (Southern Miss). Three of the five losses were against traditional softball powers Boston College, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech.

Parsons credits last season for her team’s newly-found hunger.

Like modern-day Cinderellas, the Lady Colonels advanced all the way to the conference title game before falling by one run to Stephen F. Austin.

Last season’s close call left the Lady Colonels frustrated heading into the offseason.

By the time the season started, Parson said her team looked like a team on a mission.

“I tell you, there is something about this team,” the seventh-year head coach said. “They are young, energetic and they work their tails off. They are field rats and it shows. The confidence they have is unbelievable. We haven’t started this well in a long time. It really feels good.”

But the quick start isn’t just attributed to those who were a part of last season’s magical run. It’s a testament to the whole team, and how quickly they’ve become a softball family, according to Parsons.

“It’s a compliment to my team that so many girls on this team can contribute. They’re quick to get off the bench to pinch-hit and pinch-run. This team has a definite team-first attitude. There is a definite chemistry about them.”

Even though the Lady Colonels appear to be headed for a repeat run at the conference tournament, Parsons said her team isn’t buying into anything.

With plenty of conference play still to go, she said it’s important for her team to remain focused on the task at hand.

“We’re just taking all of this one game at a time,” she noted. “We still need to sharpen some things up defensively. Offensively, we’re starting to hit our groove. We’re just going to keep doing what we do best and, hopefully, that will amount to more wins.”

Junior Lacey Gros’ arm has carried the Nicholls softball team to one of the best starts in school history. At 16-5, the Lady Colonels are atop the Southland Conference Standings. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER