Softball Falls to Nicholls State in Season Opener

Friday, February 10

Hammond, La.

4 PM ET

Army West Point

0-1

Nicholls State

1-0

Nicholls

Army West Point

Softball Falls to Nicholls State in Season Opener

February 10, 2017 | Softball

Box Score

HAMMOND, La. – The Army West Point softball team slipped to a 3-0 defeat against Nicholls State in the opening game of the Lion Classic on Friday afternoon at North Oak Park.

Army opens the year 0-1, while Nicholls State begins its season 1-0.

Senior Alee Rashenskas registered the only hit for the Black Knights on the afternoon, as she went 1-for-2 from the plate and drew a walk. Sophomore Ashley Yoo and freshmen Madison Cole and Amelia Trotter also drew walks, while Trotter stole a base.

Senior pitcher Caroline Smith tossed four and one-third innings and allowed two runs while striking out one batter, and freshman Macey Newbary allowed just one hit in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Brooke Morris led Nicholls State, batting 2-for-2, while Kasey Frederick and Veronica Villafranco each picked up RBIs. Megan Landry worked all seven innings and struck out seven.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Friday marked the first-ever meeting between Army and Nicholls State.
Rashenskas went 1-for-2 from the batter's box.
Cole, Newbary, Trotter, Emily Ballesteros, Katie Ontiveros and Lacey Swafford all made their collegiate debuts.
Smith earned the start in the season opener for the fourth year in a row.
Trotter recorded Army's only stolen base of the afternoon.

KEY MOMENT

Nicholls State saw four straight batters reach base with one out in the fifth inning and increased the lead to 2-0.
The Colonels drove in a second run in the top of the fifth with two outs and the bases loaded to move ahead 3-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Sydney Bourg put the Colonels on the board in the top of the fourth inning by stealing home after initially reaching on a two-out single.
Bourg stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error before stealing home to put Nicholls State up, 1-0.
Villafranco knocked a one-out single with the bases loaded to score Morris in the top of the fifth and double the Colonels' advantage to 2-0.
Frederick hit an RBI single with two outs later in the fifth inning and Amanda Gianelloni came in to score and give Nicholls State a 3-0 lead.

UP NEXT

Army faces Tennessee-Martin in its second game at the Lion Classic in Hammond, La., on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET before taking on host-school Southeastern Louisiana at 4 p.m. ET.