Softball: Colonels unable to avoid Sunday sweep in late-inning loss

MOBILE, Ala. – The Nicholls State University softball team looked on its way to ending the Mardi Gras Invitational with a win, but host South Alabama rallied with three runs in the seventh to hand the Colonels a 3-2 loss Sunday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Nicholls (8-8) mounted its own late comeback attempt against No. 25 Illinois but came up short in a 5-3 setback.

Against South Alabama (9-7), Nicholls led 2-0 after scoring in the first inning thanks to a pair of USA errors. In the fifth, Maegen Ellis ripped a double in the gap to put the score at 2-0.

Megan Landry (7-3) shut down the USA offense through six innings, allowing three hits while striking out nine. But in the seventh, the Jaguars led off with a single before Kennedy Cronan tied the game with a 2-run homer.

Landry left the game after allowing a double and Alexis LaBure tried to keep the score tied, but USA pushed the walk-off run across the plate on a close play at home. With the bases loaded and one out, shortstop Amanda Gianelloni fired home on a grounder and the runner beat the throw for the game-winner.

For the morning game, Illinois (10-3) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings. The Colonels rallied with an RBI single by Gianelloni and a 2-run Kasey Frederick double in the sixth but were retired in order in the seventh to end the game.

Nicholls had seven hits, while LaBure (1-5) surrendered 11 and struck out six.

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