SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word softball team lost the third game of a three game Southland Conference series against Nicholls State University by a score of 8-1 at Cardinals Field on Saturday.
The Cardinals (9-31, 3-15) and the Colonels (24-16, 10-8) went scoreless for the first two innings. In the top of the third, Kristen Ahearn homered to left field to give Nicholls an early lead.
An error in the bottom of the inning gave the Cardinals a fighting chance when
Monique Miller (Hewitt/Midway HS) reached first base and advanced to second on a throwing error, pushing
Kellen Robles (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) to third. Kristen Hebert (Humble/ Atascocita HS) stepped up to the plate and singled to center field, allowing Robles to score and tying the score at 1-1.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, a strong fourth inning from the Colonels extended their lead, as they scored two runs off of three hits. The Cardinals defense held up for the remainder of the inning despite the Colonels loading the bases with no outs. Starting pitcher
Brooke DuBois (Pearland/ Pearland HS) struck out Hayley Stevenson for the second out and prevented Nicholls from scoring when Peyton Gremillion lined out to
Alex Zepeda (Sinton/ Sinton HS) at second base to end the inning.
UIW's offense was unresponsive for the remainder of the game and the Colonels took advantage of the gaps in the defense by scoring two more runs in the fifth. They closed out the game in the sixth inning with three runs off of five hits.
DuBois pitched five full innings and took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing six hits and three runs, two of which were walked in.
Jackie Johnson pitched the entire game for Nicholls State and took the win after allowing four hits and one run.
UIW head back out on the road next weekend for more Southland Conference action against Stephen F. Austin. They are set to start a three game series with a double header on Friday and wrap up with a single game on Saturday starting at 12 p.m.
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