The Colonels bats stayed hot in the series finale on Sunday as they beat Texas State 6-4 to sweep the Bobcats, and to stay on top of the Southland Conference.
“The team deserves a lot of credit in how they responded from their two week lay over,” said head coach Jenny Parsons.† “I am very proud of their work ethic and the intensity that they brought this weekend.”
The Colonels (15-9, 7-1) have now won seven consecutive conference games that includes two series sweeps.† The Bobcats (15-16, 5-7) were outscored by Nicholls in the series 17-4 and were shut out twice.
Nicholls picked up two runs in the first inning when junior Amy Thibodeaux hit a two RBI single to right center that scored sophom*ore Kodi Butler and senior Leah Peterson.† The Bobcats put one on the scoreboard in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly by Amy Krueger that brought home Tamara Keller.† The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Colonels until the bottom of the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, senior Jacqueline Pacheco hit a three run bomb to centerfield that made the score 5-1.† Pacheco’s homerun brought in Peterson and Butler, and Texas State subbed in Ragan Blake to relive Sarah Lancour.† Blake’s first pitch was to Thibodeaux, and she followed in Pacheco’s path by belting a homerun as well.† Her solo shot gave the Colonels a 6-1 advantage that would hold for the win.
Junior Krystalin Ensminger picked up the win with her five innings of work to improve to 8-6 on the season, while junior Jessica Barksdale got the save.† Ensminger has now led the Colonels to victory in her last five starts.
Pacheco finished 1-for-2 with homerun and three RBIs, while Thibodeaux checked out 2-for-3 with a solo homerun and three RBIs.† Butler and Peterson both finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
Nicholls won the first two games of the series 3-0 and 8-0. In game two, Jessica Barksdale threw a no-hitter to lead the Lady Colonels to the 8-0 win.
Nicholls’ baseball continues struggles; swept by Wildcats
Texas State completed a three-game sweep of Nicholls to open Southland Conference play, with an 8-1 victory, Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Field.
The Colonels managed one run on four hits and committed one error, while the Bobcats scored eight runs on 10 hits.
Jacob Sullivan (0-1) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits through five innings of work. Justin Fiske (2-1) received the win, giving up just one earned run on four hits, while fanning 17 batters in eight innings.
Brandt Boudreaux, Whitney Dawes, A.J. DeLaneuville and Keith Kulbeth collected singles for Nicholls, with Boudreaux accounting for an RBI and Kulbeth scoring a run. Thoma Field led Texas State at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a homerun, three RBI and one run scored. Adam Witek and Ell Babco*ck also contributed two hits apiece.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth inning.
The Colonels picked up a run in the sixth, cutting the Bobcat lead to 6-1. Kulbeth singled and scored off of a Boudreaux single.
Garza extended the lead, adding a homerun in the eighth. Witek rounded out the scoring, picking up the final Texas State run. Witek singled and was brought in by a Babco*ck double.
Nicholls returns to action next weekend as they host McNeese State in what will be the Colonels’ conference series home opener. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with Saturday’s game set for 3 p.m. The three-game series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Bourgeois set regional qualifying mark
Throwing the javelin for the first time this season, sophom*ore Leslie Bourgeois took home the javelin title, as well as set a regional qualifying mark, with a toss of 149-01, at the Louisiana-Lafayette Open Saturday evening.
In addition to Bourgeois’ success, other members of the Colonels’ outdoor track and field team continued to make their climb in the Nicholls record books.
The 4X100-meter relay team of Lauren Bazunu, LaNation McCray, Jarina Guilbeau and Dominique Harris took over the number one spot in the record books with a time of 49.69 in the event. McCray also finished the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.59, to take home an eighth place finish, and move into the fourth spot on the Nicholls all-time list.
Latasha Bishop and Rahjanaye Bailey added their names into the record books, appearing in second place all-time in their respective events. Bishop took seventh place in the 400-meter dash with a run of 59.45, while Bailey’s run of 1:08.78 in the 400-meter hurdles, placed her in sixth place in the event. Bailey also moved into fifth place on the 100-meter hurdles all-time list, after her run of 16:07 gave her a 16th place finish on the night.
Chelsea Dockrey took home a runner-up finish with a high jump of 5-06.00
Other Colonel performers included: Bazunu (200-meter dash, 27.15, 26th), Nicoya Hutcherson (400-meter dash, 1:02.92, 14th), Eunice Jepkogei (1500-meter run, 5:07.23, eighth), Guilbeau (100-meter hurdles, 16.28, 18th), Harris (100-meter hurdles, 16.58, 19th; high jump, 4-08.25, eighth, long jump, 16-02.25, 16th), Sabrina Henkes (400-meter hurdles, 1:09.38, eighth), Keri Fremin (pole vault, 9-06.25, seventh) and the 4X400-meter relay team of Dockrey, McCray, Hutcherson and Bishop (4:13.82, 12th place). Two other Colonels who participated in the meet, but ran unattached, included: Tiffany Nall (200-meter dash, 27.15, 26th) and Kadie Whisnant (1500-meter run, 5:06.87, seventh).
Nicholls returns to action next weekend, when they participate in the LSU Relays beginning Friday in Baton Rouge. The meet will last through Sunday.
Photo by DOUG KEESE/NSU * Junior Amy Thibodeaux went 2-for-3 with a homerun and three RBI’s to help the Lady Colonels sweep Texas State on Sunday.
