THIBODAUX, LA – The Huskies swept a pair of games in the 2021 season opener at Nicholls State, 9-4 and 5-2.
GAME 1: The Huskies opened the first game of the season with a walk from Avery Drake and a single from Shelby Echols. After a single through the right side from Heidi Jaquez, Drake was able to advance to put the Huskies on the board. Jessica Patak opened at the mound and ran a quick three up, three down to hold of the Colonels. With three batters walked in the second, Autumn Sydlik was able to advance to score after a passed ball from Nicholls. Patak pitched a shutout before leaving the mound in the third.
Sydlik was able to single in the top of the third for an RBI to being in Caitlyn Brockway and was able to advance to second after the next batter. Riley walked up to the plate to earn her first homerun of her senior season with two other base runners to put HBU up 6-0. After a wild pitch from Elliot Estes in the bottom of the fourth, Nicholls was able to put themselves on the board.
After a double for Sydlik and a single for Lyndie Swanson, Bullen blasted a triple to right field to bring two more Huskies in to go up 8-1. Echols punched in a single to bring in Bullen for the final run for the Huskies. The Colonels were able to score another run in fifth after an HBU error and after a single from Scout Blades to bring two runners in, Nicholls gave a gleam of hope for hosting team. With a three up, three down finish from subbed in Patak, the Huskies got their first victory of the season 9-4.
The Huskies had nine runs on 11 hits with eight RBIs. Patak led with a shutout. Swanson went three runs on three hits, and Estes went one run on two hits.
GAME 2: The Huskies started off strong after a double to right center by fourth in the lineup, Caitlyn Brockway, to bring in Drake who was walked as the first batter of the lineup. Autumn Sydlik was walked as the first batter to start the fourth and with a single from Kamryn Parker, Sydlik was able to advance to third. Riley Bullen singled up the middle, bringing HBU up 2-0. Sarah Venker went to the mound at the bottom of the fifth and after two quick outs from the infield, Nicholls put themselves on the board with and RBI from Emma Holland.
In the top of the sixth, the best inning of the game for the Huskies, Riley Bullen singled for her next at bat, and with a passed ball, she was able to advance to second. With a base hit from Echols to bring in Bullen and a a double from Jasie Roberts to bring in Echols, the Huskies were up 5-1. After a single from Nicholls' Kelsey Miller and Melise Gossen, Skylar Hamilton was able to get a base hit to bring in Miller for another run scored for the Colonels. Madison Cotton subbed back to the mound and was able to hold off scoring to bring in the Husky victory.
The Huskies had five runs on nine hits with five RBIs. Cotton allowed zero runs on four hits and Venker allowed two runs on four hits.
The Huskies will next see action at Southern Miss for a doubleheader on Feb. 28 with game times at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
