Krause’s game-winning hit allows Nicholls softball team to gain split with Southeastern

A bit of an attitude adjustment by Nicholls’ hitters paid big dividends Friday night and provided a positive feeling going into Saturday’s action against visiting Southeastern Louisiana.

With two out in the bottom of the seventh inning and the score tied, Erin Krause delivered the game-winning hit on a short fly ball to left field, giving Nicholls a 4-3 win.

“We’ve been struggling hitting and we kind of changed our mindset to, ‘so what.’ Right now they (the Lady Lions) have been struggling defensively. Put the ball on the ground and make them hit. If we can’t hit, so what, but they can’t field, so it’s got to work. Find it,” Krause said.

The win allowed Nicholls to gain a double header split with Southeastern after the Lady Colonels, sporting pink jerseys for Breast Cancer Awareness, dropped the opening game on Friday 3-1 on Swanner Field.

“We get a shot at the series tomorrow,” Nicholls coach Justin Lewis said. “The pitchers are pitching their butts off. Our offense is still struggling but we were gritty today.  We won ugly. Sometimes ugly wins can start building and they start having a little fun. They won ugly, but it was fun for them. They can reduce the pressure a little bit on themselves, and hopefully, they’ll start hitting like they are actually capable of.”

The win moved Nicholls to 11-6 in the Southland Conference and 24-21 overall. Southeastern is now 14-3 in the SLC and 37-9 overall.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Claire Sisco reached base on a throwing error by Ellie DuBois on a ball Sisco hit back to the SLU pitcher. The error allowed Sisco to reach second base.

A ground out to first base by Reagan Heflin allowed Sisco to advance to third base.

Krause hit a fly ball to shallow left field, falling in front of Lions left fielder Ka’Lyn Watson for the game-winning run.

“I’ve struggled probably both my seasons now not being able to hit a change up, so I knew it was coming. I stepped early and I just stayed with it. It was a ball but I just kept my barrel going that way and it dropped for me. I got lucky,” said Krause.

“Her nickname is ‘E-Money.’ She earned that last year when she was all-conference and all-region as a true freshman. She struggled early, but she’s just been battling and trying to get it fixed. The last month or so, she’s been one of our best hitters,” Lewis said.

Southeastern had taken a 1-0 lead in the second on when Nicholls pitcher Audrey McNeill issued a two-out walk to Lexi Johnson, followed by a run-scoring double by Audrey Greely.

Of the four runs given up by DuBois, only one of earned due to a pair of errors by the Lions.

The first two unearned runs were earned by a hustle play for the Lady Colonels in the fourth inning.

Krause opened the inning by reaching first base on a fielding error by SLU shortstop Chloe Magee.

A fly out by Alexa Poche advanced Krause to second base. A sacrifice bunt by Mckenzie Champagne moved Krause to third. Abby Andersen walked and stole second base.

A bunt single by Gabby Higbee not only scored Krause, but a hustling Andersen right behind her all the way from second base.

“I didn’t even see her coming. She almost slid right into me. That was really good baserunning,” Krause said of Andersen.

“She did that on her own. I was trying to find a pinch-hitter in the dugout. I look up and the bunt goes down and Abby is already scoring on her own. I didn’t help her out there, she did it on her own,” said Lewis.

After Southeastern scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, Nicholls countered in the bottom half of the inning on a run-scoring single up the middle by Krause to tie the game and set up the third baseman’s heroics in the bottom of the seventh.

McNeill (10-11) went the distance in picking up the win. She allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out five.

DuBois (12-4) suffered the loss. Along with giving up only one earned run, she allowed seven hits and two walks, while striking out one

The teams close out the series with a single game slated for noon Saturday.

Southeastern 3, Nicholls 1: In the opener, the Lady Colonels came up with the first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning.

Sisco produced a one-run single and stole second base before scoring on a double by Heflin.

SLU responded quickly, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Back-to-back doubles by Bailey Krolczyk and Maddie Watson to open the inning produced the Lady Lions’ first run of the game.

After a fly out by Johnson, a single to left by Greely scoring pinch-runner Brilee Broussard, giving SLU a 2-1 lead.

Nicholls threatened in the bottom of the sixth but stranded runners in scoring position.

SLU added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning.

Molly Yoo (6-7) suffered the loss. She allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out three.

Cera Blanchard (16-2) picked up the win. The one run she allowed was unearned. Blanchard give up five hits and two walks, while striking out seven.