No. 10 Ragin' Cajuns pull away late to defeat Colonels in softball
The Nicholls State University softball team played the No. 10 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to a scoreless tie through four innings, but the Ragin’ Cajuns offense scored at least two runs in each of the final three frames as the Colonels suffered a rare loss at home 8-0 Wednesday night at Swanner Field.
Nicholls (12-13), which posted an 18-2 record in Thibodaux in 2018 and entered the night with a 50-6 mark at Swanner Field during the last three-plus seasons, was limited to just three hits. Amanda Gianelloni and Kali Clement both singled in the loss, while Emma Holland recorded her first double of the season.
Megan Landry (10-5) suffered the loss. After shutting down the Southland’s top offense last weekend, Landry, a Central Catholic alum, stifled one of the country’s top lineups by retiring the Cajuns in order in three of the first four innings. But in the fifth, the Ragin’ Cajuns’ Kourtney Gremillion snuck a liner down the first baseline for a run-scoring triple and then scored late in the inning for a 2-0 lead.
Louisiana doubled its advantage in the sixth on a two-run homer by Julie Rawls. With the wind howling out, she got a hold of a Landry pitch and drove it over the left-center wall. Landry left the game in the sixth, finishing with four earned runs on five hits while striking out five.
As impressive as Landry was in the early innings, Ragin’ Cajun pitcher Summer Ellyson had a dominating showing, too, striking out 11 Colonels in six innings. With the win, she improved to 14-3 this season.
In the seventh, the Ragin’ Cajuns doubled their lead again, thanks mostly to a 3-run homer by Kara Gremillion. Nicholls was retired in order in the bottom half to fall to under .500 this season.
CONFERENCE HOME OPENER
Nicholls welcomes University of Incarnate Word this weekend for its first Southland series at Swanner Field. Friday’s doubleheader is scheduled for 5 p.m., with Saturday’s finale set for noon.
FREE ADMISSION
Admission to all Colonel softball games at Swanner Field is free.