Colonels drop 5-3 decision to Iowa, then come up short 3-1 against No. 17 LSU at Tiger Park
The Nicholls State University softball team opened play at the LSU Invitational on Friday with two losses at Tiger Park, falling 5-3 to Iowa before a 3-1 setback to No. 17 LSU.
Nicholls (9-6) continues tournament play Saturday with a rematch against Iowa at 11:00 a.m., followed immediately by a matchup with Memphis at 1:30 p.m.
Game 1: Iowa 5, Nicholls 3
Iowa used early extra-base damage to build a five-run cushion, then held off a late Nicholls rally to secure the win.
The Hawkeyes scored twice in the first inning, then doubled their lead in the second on back-to-back doubles from Tory Bennett and Devin Simon to make it 4-0. Bennett added a solo home run in the fourth to push the advantage to 5-0.
Nicholls broke through in the fifth when Claire Sisco delivered an RBI single to end Iowa starter Serayah Neiss’ shutout bid. The Colonels made one final push in the seventh, scoring twice to cut the deficit to two. Sisco tripled to bring home a run and later scored on an RBI groundout by Ava Burkett, but Iowa closed the door from there.
Sisco and Erin Krause combined for four of Nicholls’ five hits, with Sisco driving in two runs and scoring once.
In the circle, Molly Yoo took the loss after allowing four earned runs on five hits in 1.1 innings. Averi Paden steadied things in relief, limiting Iowa to one run on six hits across 5.2 innings.
Neiss earned the win for Iowa, striking out five in five innings.
Box Score
Iowa 5, Nicholls 3
Site: Tiger Park
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| Nicholls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
Nicholls hitting leaders:
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Claire Sisco: 2-3, 2 RBI, R, 3B
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Erin Krause: 2-3
Nicholls pitching:
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Molly Yoo (L): 1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER
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Averi Paden: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER
Iowa pitching:
-
Serayah Neiss (W): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K
Game 2: No. 17 LSU 3, Nicholls 1
Nicholls struck first against LSU, but the Tigers responded with a run in the third and two more in the fifth to take the 3-1 decision.
Laylin Sturm reached on a hit-by-pitch in the third and stole second to move into scoring position. Sisco followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead.
LSU answered in the bottom half, tying the game at 1-1 after a hit-by-pitch and two singles. Nicholls escaped further trouble with a flyout that stranded three runners.
After a scoreless fourth, LSU seized control in the fifth. Two free passes to open the inning chased Nicholls to the bullpen, and the Tigers scored on a fielder’s choice before adding an RBI single from Bergeron to extend the lead to 3-1.
Nicholls managed a walk from Ally Mooneyham in the sixth, but could not generate another hit. LSU’s Jayden Heavener worked two hitless innings to earn the save, while Tatum Clopton picked up the win.
Box Score
No. 17 LSU 3, Nicholls 1
Site: Tiger Park
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| LSU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Nicholls hitting leaders:
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Claire Sisco: 1-3, RBI
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Laylin Sturm: HBP, SB
Nicholls pitching:
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Ashley Little: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K
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Sierra Ouellette: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
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Molly Yoo (L): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER
LSU pitching:
-
Tatum Clopton (W): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K
-
Jayden Heavener (S): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Up Next
Nicholls continues the LSU Invitational on Saturday, opening with a rematch against Iowa at 11:00 a.m. before facing Memphis at 1:30 p.m.
