Yoo twirls shutout as No. 3 Nicholls stays alive with 1-0 win over A&M-Corpus Christi

LAKE CHARLES, La. – In a game where both teams threatened to score repeatedly but couldn’t break the ice, the third seed Nicholls Colonels finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth to eke out a 1-0 win over fifth seed A&M-Corpus Christi in an elimination game at the 2023 Southland Conference Softball Championship.

Nicholls pushes its record to 29-23 and moves to a Friday 11 a.m. elimination game against fourth seed Lamar. A&M-Corpus Christi ends its year at 24-24.

Colonel pitcher Molly Yoo moved her record to 13-11 on the year with a complete game shutout, allowing four hits and four walks and striking out eight.

SLC Pitcher of the Year Primrose Aholelei of A&M-Corpus Christi’s only run allowed decided the game, as she struck out six but conceded eight hits and walked four.

The two teams combined to strand 10 runners in scoring position in the first five-and-a-half innings. The Colonels had the best chance to score in that span, but the fourth inning ended on a double play with a runner thrown out at home after a fly out.

After the Islanders stranded runners at second and third in the top of the sixth, the Colonels finally put up a tally. MaKynli Miller singled to left, moved to second on an error and third on a sacrifice bunt. Abby Andersen walked and the pair executed a double steal to earn the run.

In the seventh, pinch hitter Monee Montilla led off with a double and a pair of walks loaded the bases, but Yoo induced a groundout to push the Colonels to the next round.

For Nicholls, Andersen and Alexa Poche’ each had two hits and all eight of the Colonels’ hits were singles.

For A&M-Corpus Christi, Montilla and Sydney Hoyt had doubles as the Islanders were limited to four hits.