Nicholls State head coach Phyllis Guedry waited in a state of exhilaration for months for the Lady Colonels softball team to begin season play. The team took the field by storm last Wednesday for their first game as the 2002 team in a home game against Centenary and headed out to Mississippi to compete in the 2002 Rebel/Easton Invitational hosted by Ole Miss.
Nicholls State 3, Centenary 0 (Game One)
Centenary 8, Nicholls State 2 (Game Two)
The Lady Colonels exploded on to the field last Wednesday to play Centenary in a non-conference double-header. The Lady’s opened the scoring in the opener in the third inning as senior Kyna Boyer scored on a passes ball. They tacked on a pair of runs a frame later on a RBI triple by sophomore Sarah Eads and an RBI single by senior Monica Hebert. Pitchers Duffi Matherne and Christina Hanson did the rest, limiting Centenary to just four hits. Matherne went the first five innings, striking out four and walking one and Hanson came on to close out the contest, striking out the side in the top of the seventh. Nicholls State scored its three runs on five hits and two Centenary miscues while making one error of its own.
“We are in a good place right now,” Guedry said. “We are going to be able to take what we did in the first game and build on it.”
In game two, Centenary burst out of the gates, scoring seven runs in the first two innings. Behind 8-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth Nicholls scored on an RBI single by Shauna Emola The Lady Colonels closed out the scoring an inning later as sophomore Jen Sladky came in home to score on a wild pitch. Nicholls State scored its two runs on four hits making two errors.
Tennessee-Martin 3, Nicholls State 0
Nicholls State 1, Evansville 0
Nicholls State defeated Evansville and fell to Tennessee-Martin in the opening-day action of the 2002 Rebel/Easton Invitational.
In the first game of the day for the Lady Colonels, Tennessee-Martin scored two runs in the second inning and another in the sixth to shut out Nicholls State. Matherne went all the way for the Lady Colonels, striking out eight and allowing a pair of earned runs. The Colonels connected for four hits while UTM had five. Julie Rodriguez had two hits for Nicholls State while Jen Paray and Emola each had one.
In the second game against Evansville, neither team was able to score in the first seven innings, forcing an international tie breaker to occur. With sophomore outfielder Stephanie Sasser placed on second base to begin Nicholls State’s at-bat in the eighth inning, Paray connected on a single up the middle to score Sasser and end the contest. Sophomore Lori Blanco picked up the win, going three innings and allowing just one hit. Blanco came in relief when fellow sophomore Fallon Cancienne who struck out one and walked two in her five innings of work. Nicholls State outhit the Aces 7-4 while stranding six runners on base. Paray led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 while Eads added a pair of hits.
Evansville 2, Nicholls State 0
Ole Miss 7, Nicholls State 0
Nicholls State closed out play in the Rebel/Easton Invitational, falling to Evansville and Ole Miss. The team’s third game, scheduled to be contested at 6 p.m. against Tennessee-Martin was canceled.
In the opener, Nicholls State stranded eight runners, including four in scoring positions. With neither teams being able to score in the first six innings, Evansville put a pair of runs on the board inn the seventh inning on three hits and one Colonel error. In the contest, Boyer, Matherne and freshman Chrissy Jenkins managed three hits against the Aces, all reaching base safely.
In the nightcap, Ole Miss touched up Colonel pitching for eight hits while taking advantage of four Nicholls State miscues. The Rebels scored a run in the first inning, three more in the second and three in the fifth. Nicholls State registered five hits in the game while leaving seven runners on base.
The Lady Colonels will return to action on Saturday to take on Sam Houston State at 12 noon.
