Coming off a second-place finish at the Georgia State Kick-Off Classic over the weekend in Atlanta, the Lady Colonel softball team was swept by No. 8 LSU in a doubleheader Tuesday in Baton Rouge. Nicholls fell 9-0 in game one and 8-1 in game two, and saw their record slip to 5-6 on the year.
Game one LSU 9 Nicholls 0
The Lady Colonels were handcuffed by LSU starter Britni Sneed, as the righthander allowed two hits and struck out 11.
Julie Rodriguez led the game off for Nicholls with a double to left field, and Shauna Emola singled to center for the other Lady Colonel hit.
LSU improved to 11-1 on the year after scoring a run in the first, three in the third and five in the fifth to close out the game.
Game two LSU 8 Nicholls 1
In the nightcap, the Lady Colonels scored first when Matherne scored on an error in the top of the second.
LSU scored two runs in the bottom of the third, capitalizing on a Lady Colonel error and a wild pitch by Matherne.
The Lady Tigers took advantage of another Nicholls error in the fourth, scoring a pair of runs on two hits.
LSU tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning and a pair in the sixth to seal the seven-run win.
Matherne recorded the lone Lady Colonel hit, and was charged with the loss.
In Atlanta, the Lady Colonels defeated Appalachian State, Mercer and Austin Peay and lost to the eventual tournament champion, Georgia State, twice.
For the weekend, Lady Colonel Kyna Boyer led Nicholls with a .385 batting average, which included a double and a triple.
Nicole Stewart and Monica Hebert each homered for the Lady Colonels in the tournament.
Matherne started all five games for Nicholls, allowing 19 hits and seven earned runs in 26 2/3 innings of work. She struck out 29 and allowed six walks. Every player who made the trip saw some action.
Georgia State 5 Nicholls 3
Georgia State scored a run in the bottom of the first, but Nicholls answered in the top of the second when Ortego sent Jill Chabert home to tie the game. In the top of the fourth Nicholls took a 3-1 advantage when Stephanie Sasser and Ortego added RBI’s.
The Lady Panthers took the lead in the bottom half of the frame on a three-run homerun and would add another run in the fifth.
Nicholls 7 Appalachian State 4
The Lady Colonels sent seven batters to the plate in the first inning and scored two runs on one hit.
Nicholls added two more runs in the second when Lori Duplechain and Rodriguez crossed home plate.
In the third, the Lady Colonels added a few more when Boyer scored on the Stewart homerun.
Matherne got the win, while Hebert went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Boyer finished 2-for-2 with two RBI’s.
Nicholls 1 Mercer 0
Vying for their third win in a row, the Lady Colonels downed Mercer to advance to the tournament championship game.
The Lady Colonels won the game in the seventh when Rodriguez singled home Sarah Eads.
Matherne picked up the win allowing two hits in the complete-game effort.
Nicholls out-hit Mercer 4-2, with Stewart connecting two doubles to go with singles by Rodriguez and Chabert.
Georgia State 8 Nicholls 0
In the championship game, Nicholls failed to score as the Lady Panthers had a 3-0 lead, and scored five runs in the sixth to end the game and take the tournament title.
The Lady Colonels will return to action this weekend when they travel to Orlando, Fla., to play in the Disney Diamond Classic. Nicholls will play a pair of games against both Albany and Bethune-Cookman and an exhibition against the Dutch National Team.
