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HOUSTON – The HBU Huskies (12-9,1-1 SLC) split the home opener with the Nicholls Colonels (11-14, 1-1 SLC) in the opening day of Southland Conference play. HBU took game one, 9-0 winning by run rule in the fifth inning while Nicholls took game two, 2-1.
 
HBU took the lead in the bottom of the third inning when Freshman Avery Drake reached on an error by the third baseman and scored on a Shelby Echols double off the right field wall scoring Drake from first giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Immediately after, Jasie Roberts followed up with a double over the center fielder's head scoring Echols from second extending the Husky lead.
 
The Huskies tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fourth after the Colonels went down in order in the top half of the inning. Caitlyn Brockway led off with a walk and advanced on an Autumn Sydlik fly out to deep left. Riley Bullen came up and singled to center advancing Brockway to third who then scored on a passed ball giving the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
 
The Nicholls offense was silenced in the to of the fifth inning. HBU led off with a Drake single to left field and advanced to second on an Echols bunt single. Both runners scored on a Roberts single to left that the left fielder misplayed that advanced Roberts two bases on the play. HBU leads 5-0. The next play Katy Schaefer reached on an error by the shortstop, Roberts scored. HBU leads 6-0. Brockway followed with a double to left advancing Schaefer to third. Schaefer scored on a passed the next pitch. Senior Heidi Jaquez stepped up the plate for the Huskies and delivered a two-run homerun to right center giving the Huskies a 9-0 win due to a run rule that is in effect in Southland Conference games.
 
Freshman Madison Cotton went the distance for the Huskies throwing a complete game shutout in five innings of work giving up one hit while striking out five batters and walking two and hitting one.
 
Shelby Echols (3-3) 2B, 2 R, RBI,
Jasie Roberts (2-3) 2B, R, 2 RBI
Caitlyn Brockway (1-2) 2B, 2 R, BB
Heidi Jaquez (1-3) HR, R, 2 RBI, K
Avery Drake (1-3) 2 R
Riley Bullen (1-3)
 
In game two the first two innings were scoreless until the top of the third inning when Nicholls took a 2-0 lead on two errors by the Huskies defense.
 
The game went quiet on both sides until Heidi Jaquez led off the fifth inning with another HR, making it her second of the day decreasing the Colonels lead to one run.
 
HBU threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Brockway reached on an error by the Colonels shortstop, Haley Melton pinch ran and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Autumn Sydlik had a 8 pitch at bat that eventually led to a fly out to center field for the Nicholls to hold off the Huskies to take game two of the series.
 
The Huskies will be back in action tomorrow at noon at Husky Field to finish out the series.