Skip To Main Content

Houston Christian University Athletics

OFFICIAL SITE OF HCU ATHLETICS
HCU ATHLETICS
ESPN Plus Logo
26 - Riley Martin (SLCT)
SLU Athletics / Samuel Conners
4
HCU HCU 23-26
5
Winner Nicholls NICH 30-24
HCU HCU
23-26
4
Final
5
Nicholls NICH
30-24
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
HCU HCU 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 5 1
Nicholls NICH 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 5 8 2

W: Paden, Averi (8-4) L: Swanson, Lyndie (10-8)

Game Recap: Softball |

SB: Huskies clipped by Colonels in second game of SLC Tournament

HCU falls to Nicholls on walk-off homer, play top-seeded McNeese on Wednesday night



HAMMOND, Louisiana --- Houston Christian University got out to an early lead, but third-seeded Nicholls got a solo walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-4 victory in the third and final game of day one at the Southland Conference Tournament at North Oak Park. The Huskies now fall into the elimination side of the tournament bracket, and will face  top-seeded McNeese on Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm. 
 
The start of game three was delayed as the second game of day one between UIW and Lamar went to extra frames. Once things got underway, the Huskies wasted no time getting on the board, plating three runs in the first.
 
AB Garcia walked to get things going and moved to third when Haylie Savage reached on an error. Garcia would then cross the plate on a wild pitch to put the first run on the scoreboard.
 
With one out, Maddy Bailey then doubled to the wall in left center to score Savage and push the lead to 2-0.
 
One out later, Jackie Jessup smashed a single right back up the middle, bringing around Bailey and giving the Huskies a 3-0 lead before Nicholls had come to the plate.
 
In the third, the Colonels would get all three back. Abby Anderson had an RBI single to drive home Samantha Gwiazda, and moved to second on the throw home. After Anderson stole third, Alexa Poche walked and was pinch-run for by Laylin Sturm, who immediately stole second. Riley Rutheford then squibbed a ball softly up the third base line and beat out the throw to first, driving in Anderson and Sturm, who never stopped running from second base to tie the score at 3-3.

SAVAGE tags ABBY
(Haylie Savage applies the tag at third - Photo by Samuel Conners/SLU) 

HCU would retake the lead in the top of the fourth. Jackie Jessup led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Riley Martin would then reach on an error, and Jessup came all the way in from second on the overthrow to push the Huskies back up 4-3.
 
Nicholls would put together another threat in the fourth, and Katy Janes would give way after a solid 3.1 innings. With two runners on, Lyndie Swanson entered in relief for the second game in a row. She would get a comebacker to the mound that advanced the runners, but then got a strikeout to end the inning and keep HCU in the lead.
 
Nicholls made good on their rally in the sixth to tie things up. Back-to-back singles by Claire Sisco and pinch-hitter Molly VandenBout started the frame, and both runners advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Gwiazda. Anderson then produced a run-scoring groundout to second to score Cisco, and send the two clubs to the seventh knotted at four.
 
The Huskies could push nothing across in the top of the seventh, and in the bottom half, Alexa Poche knocked a one-out homer to center field to give the Colonels the walk-off victory.
 
Jackie Jessup led the Huskies, going 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Maddy Bailey was 1-3 with an RBI and run scored, while AB Garcia and Kaicey Hagler had the only other HCU hits in the contest.
 
Swanson (10-8) took the decision for the second time on the first day of action in the tournament, going three innings and allowing three hits and two runs while fanning two and walking none. Janes went the first 3.1, scattering five hits and giving up the three runs with three walks and four punchouts.

KATY JANES - SLCT
(Katy Janes pitches in the third inning - Photo by Samuel Conners/SLU)

Averi Paden (8-4) collected the win in relief, going three innings and allow just one hit. Audrey McNeill went four and gave up four hits and four runs. Claire Sisco went 2-3 while Abby Anderson and Riley Rutherford each drove in two.
 
HCU, now 23-26 on the season, will face the loser of the first game of day two between top-seeded McNeese and fourth-seeded Incarnate Word, a 5-4 winner in extra innings over Lamar in Tuesday's second game. Nicholls improves to 30-24 on the season, and advances to play second-seed and tournament host Southeastern Louisiana. 
 
#DawgsUp
 
 
Print Friendly Version