Both Colonel softball and baseball teams saw a step up in their competition this weekend, playing three and two games against teams from large conferences, respectively.

Nicholls softball played five games over the weekend at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic. The team won their double-header on Friday against Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne and Mississippi Valley State, including a 3-2 walk-off base hit by Brooke Morris to beat IPFW.

In the first game, the Colonels scored once in the first, third and seventh inning and were paced by freshman Amanda Gianelloni with two hits and runs batted in by Gianelloni, Morris and Alexis Huss.

Senior Hannah Haydel allowed five hits over five innings and two earned runs to earn her sixth win of the season. Haydel held the Mastodons scoreless in four of her five innings of work, with IPFW plated their only two runs on a walk, a triple and a double in the top of the 4th inning to tie the game.

In their second game on Friday, the Colonels blanked MVS for the second time this season. Nicholls scored three runs in the fifth and sixth innings and committed 0 errors behind six innings of shutout ball by freshman Megan Landry. The Pierre Part native struck out 14 batters, which sets the high mark for Colonel pitchers this season so far.

On Saturday, the Colonels managed just eight hits and two runs over their second double-header in as many days. Nicholls first lost 1-4 to the University of Memphis and 1-5 to the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Colonels struck first on a double by Huss that scored Gianelloni who walked with two outs, but Nicholls managed five base runners and three hits the rest of the game. Haydel took the loss for the Colonels despite allowing two earned runs and striking out 11 over six innings of work.

Head Coach Angel Santiago’s squad played arguably their best game against one of their best opponents of the season. The Colonels lost 1-0 to the No. 24 rank Baylor Lady Bears behind another outstanding pitching performance by Haydel and were shutout for only the second time in 17 games.

Baylor scored in the top of the sixth, and Nicholls had a chance to tie in the bottom of the seventh. Gianelloni collected her fourth hit of the weekend with one out and moved into scoring position after Huss drew a walk. The Lady Bears went to their bullpen and struck out Moriah Strother and Jessica Taylor.

The Nicholls baseball team loss two games each versus the University of Massachusettes Lowell and Mississippi State University at a round robin in Starkville, Miss over the weekend. The Colonels lost 11-2, 9-6 to UMass Lowell and 5-0, 8-0.
In their first game on Friday, the Colonels scored one run in the first and eighth innings and collected eight hits off River Hawk pitching. Kyle Reese continued his hot hitting, going 2-4 with both of the Colonel’s RBI’s. Reese went 4-17 over to weekend to lower his batting average to .500.

Justin Sinibaldi took the loss for the Colonels, giving up four runs off four hits with six strikeouts through six innings. Zach Hansen, Adam Tarver, Robbie Petty and Daniel Goff combined to finish the game and gave up 7 runs.

In their second game, Nicholls lost their second game to a Southeastern Conference opponent in the week, 5-0 to Mississippi State. Cole Stapler tossed five scoreless innings before the Bulldogs chased him in the 6th inning. MSU scored two runs in the 6th and three runs in the 8th. Nicholls only tallied three hits in the ballgame.

The Colonels bounced back on Saturday to pound out 10 hits and six runs in their 9-6 loss to Umass Lowell. Starting pitcher Jake Smith gave up six runs over two and a third innings. Dylan Manichia was the only Colonel with two hits, and Reese added two RBI’s to his team leading 17 runs batted in.

Softball will have the week off of games in preparation of their trip to Denton, TX for the Mean Grean Spring Fling next weekend while baseball will host No.7 Louisiana State University on Wednesday in front of a sold out crowd at Ray E. Didier Field.