NATCHITOCHES – One costly inning proved just slightly too much for Northwestern State to overcome on Saturday as it dropped the series finale to Nicholls in another one-run game, 5-4.
After scratching across a run in the top of the third, the Colonels (10-22, 2-4) used a four-run fourth, that was helped along by an error, hit batter and bases-loaded walk, to take a 5-3 lead at that point in the game.
"It's very rare for us to give up that many runs in one inning," head coach
Donald Pickett said. "We gave them an extra out there and they took full advantage of it. I like how we tried to battle back and our at bats were better than yesterday with a lot better approaches, but still not close to how we can produce offensively."
The Lady Demons (23-13, 5-1) answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth but some missed opportunities throughout the game prevented the come-from-behind win.
NSU was able to cash in on its first scoring chance of the day however in the bottom of the second. Keely DuBois extended her on-base streak to 23 consecutive games with a one-out double in the inning. She came in two batters later on a
Tristin Court base hit to center to give the Lady Demons the early 1-0 edge.
After cruising through the first two innings, the Colonels were able to get to starter
Sage Hoover with a double of their own to begin the third. A base hit to left tied the game as the runner was thrown out at second by
Makenzie Chaffin trying to stretch the hit.
Friday night's hero
Alexis Perry started the bottom of the inning with a base hit to center as the Lady Demons came right back after allowing the run.
Laney Roos delivered one of her three hits in the game, a single down the line in right, to move the Lady Demons back ahead 2-1.
Taylor Williams slid in safely on a play at the plate on ground ball to first off the bat of Chaffin to make it 3-1.
The Lady Demons however left two runners on base after a first and second and one out situation was left wanting on a soft grounder and strikeout to end the frame.
The Colonels scored their four runs in the top of the fourth only hitting three ball out of the infield. A pair of infield singles, error, hit batter and a walk led to the big inning that flipped the game in Nicholls favor past the midway point of the day.
NSU put runners on in both the fourth and fifth innings with one out or less, but were unable to advance them passed second base either time. It wasn't until a
Kat Marshall double to start the sixth that the Lady Demons cut the lead back to one on a fielder's choice that allowed
Nani Winger to score.
Looking to tie the game or even take the lead with runners at first and second with one out, a bouncing ball to second led the fielder directly into the path of the baserunner Perry for the tag and flip to first for the momentum-killing, inning-ending double play.
"We had some chances with some runners in scoring position," Pickett said. "We just didn't really win any of the phases of the game today, or dominant in any single phase. It's hard to continue to beat a team in the third game of a series when you don't come out and focus all your energy on doing every little thing right."
Roos led off the seventh with a single to center but her pinch runner,
Casey Irvin, was left standing at second to end the game after a diving catch in right prevented her from scoring the tying run.
"I was proud that we kept fighting but we just didn't play our best ball this weekend," Pickett said. "That boils back to me and doing a better job of preparing them to play and being ready to play. We all have to be better.
"It's not an easy thing to do to beat the same team three times. Everybody in our conference is competitive and hopefully this is a learning moment for a lot of our younger players. We're heading into the third weekend of conference and they're understanding that it's a little more intense, more on the line, more competitive and more energy within these conference games. You've got to be able to be on top of your game and compete from the first pitch to the last."
