Nicholls softball wins Southland Title

Add another trophy to the case in Thibodaux on the campus of Nicholls State University.

The Colonels’ softball team has won the Southland Conference Championship for the first time in more than 20 years.

Nicholls won the regular season Southland Title this weekend, posting a three-game home sweep of Lamar, which closes the team’s regular season with a 21-6 record in the conference – three games clear of McNeese and Southeastern, which finished tied as runners-up.

The Colonels now head to the Southland Conference Tournament this weekend in Lake Charles on the campus of McNeese State University. Nicholls will carry the No. 1 seed at the event and will reach the NCAA Tournament if they win the league.

And right now, it’s tough to bet against the Colonels.

Nicholls ends the regular season with 11-straight wins, including three-straight this weekend over a very competent Lamar team, which entered the weekend 11-13 in conference play before the sweep.

The Colonels showcased every phase of their game in the series – starting with a 9-1 mercy-rule victory over the Lady Cardinals in the opener on Friday afternoon.

The Colonels set the tone early in that win when Megan Landry worked a clean first inning, then the Colonels scored two in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead.

Third baseman Jewel Lara and left fielder Kasey Frederick had RBI doubles in the rally.

Lamar threatened in the third inning, plating a run on an error, which cut Nicholls’ lead to 2-1.

But in the bottom half of the inning, the Colonels slammed the door shut on the Lady Cardinals and took full control of the game.

Nicholls scored six runs in the third to go up 8-1 – an advantage which proved too much for Lamar to battle back from.

The Colonels had six hits in the inning, while also taking advantage of three Lamar errors in the frame.

With the big lead, Landry shifted into overdrive, working clean fourth and fifth innings – allowing just one hit in the frames.

The Colonels needed another insurance run to send the game to a mercy rule finish. They got it in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kelsey Miller led off the game with a base hit, then Lara cleared the bases with a walk-off double, which plated Miller and set the game to its conclusion.

Another big inning gave the Colonels momentum in game two of the series, as well – just moments after the first game had come and passed.

Lamar pitching held up for most of the second game in the double header. The game went to the bottom of the fourth inning in a scoreless tie.

But then Nicholls’ offense found its mojo and had one solid inning – a rally big enough to it carried the team to another win.

Nicholls scored all six of its runs in the bottom of the fourth in the second game of the series. They then held on late to secure a 6-4 win.

The Colonels got an RBI base him from Samantha Dares to start the rally, which plated Mallery Marino and Amanda Gianelloni to go up 2-0.

Later in the rally, Miller caused chaos for the Lady Cardinals again when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, which made the score 3-0.

The next batter up was Lara and she came through big, clearing the bases with a 3-RBI triple to finish the rally and give Nicholls a 6-0 lead.

But Lamar wouldn’t give up.

They got a single run in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-1.

In the seventh, the first three batters in the inning reached safely, which provided the Lady Cardinals the ammo to cut the lead down to 6-4.

But starting pitcher Alexis LaBure was up to the task, retiring three-straight hitters after the struggles to secure the win.

LaBure also worked her late-game magic in the finale, which enabled the Colonels to score the sweep in a 10-8 shootout.

Nicholls led the Lady Cardinals 3-1 after two innings in the finale, but the Lady Cardinals came back with a vengeance, scoring four in the third, then three in the fourth to take an 8-3 lead.

The Lady Cardinals chased Landry out of the circle after three innings, then also had success on relief pitcher Amando Holliday, which caused coach Angel Santiago to turn again to LaBure.

She delivered.

After the fourth-inning rally, Lamar didn’t score again.

LaBure’s confidence enabled Nicholls’ bats to get hot.

The Colonels scored a run in the fourth, then four in the fifth to tie the game at 8 – the big blow a two-run home run off the bat of Moriah Strother.

In the sixth, the Colonels struck again when Dares delivered a double down the left-field line, which plated two and gave the team a 10-8 lead.

Lamar had a chance in the seventh, but LaBure was clutch, allowing just a walk before retiring the side and clinching the win.

So now, the focus is on the Southland Tournament.

As the No. 1 seed, Nicholls will earn a double-bye.

They will face either the No. 5-seed, the No. 8 seed or the No. 4 seed in their first game, which will be played today at 11 a.m.

The format of the tournament is double elimination, so if Nicholls loses its first game, it will still have a chance to win the event.

Nicholls softball

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