The Lady Colonel softball team took a weekend off from Southland Conference play and recorded a pair of wins and a pair of losses at the Janette Spell Memorial Tournament in Lafayette. The Lady Colonels beat Samford twice and fell to host team University of Louisiana at Lafayette twice.

Nicholls is now 18-20 on the year.

Game 1: Nicholls 4 Samford 2

The Lady Colonels opened the game with a pair of runs in the first inning, and added two more in the fifth to take the 4-2 win Sunday.

Nicholls got a complete game performance from pitcher Duffi Matherne, who gave up two runs on eight hits.

Nicholls capitalized on three Samford errors and was outhit 8-5 in the win.

Jill Chabert, Kristi Blanchard, Monica Hebert, Shauna Emola and Kyna Boyer all recorded hits for the Lady Colonels.

Blanchard and Hebert each picked up one RBI in the game.

Game 2: UL-Lafayette 15 Nicholls 0

In the second game Sunday, a 10-run first inning and a no-hitter by Melissa Coronado lifted the Lady Cajuns to a big win.

The game was called after the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.

Game 3: UL-Lafayette 7 Nicholls 4

The Lady Cajuns posted six runs in the second inning to take a three-run victory Sunday morning.

Nicholls scored two runs in the bottom of the first and added single runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings, but could not overcome the UL-Lafayette second inning.

Nicole Stewart led the Lady Colonels with two hits and a pair of RBI’s. Lori Duplechain also added a hit and an RBI for the Lady Colonels.

Julie Rodriguez, Jill Chabert and Blanchard also recorded hits for Nicholls.

Game 4: Nicholls 4 Samford 2

In the final game of the tournament on Sunday, Nicholls scored four times in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Samford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, before Nicholls rallied to take the win.

Rodriguez, Sarah Eads and Stewart all came through with RBIs for the Lady Colonels.

Matherne again threw the entire way and got the win for Nicholls.

“We are not necessarily playing best ball, but we are learning how to win,” Lady Colonel head coach Pattie Holthaus said. “We are starting to win the games that we should win.”

The Lady Colonels return to action for a three-game homestand against SLC foe the University of Louisiana at Monroe this weekend.

The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 5 p.m., before finishing the series with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.