Boxscore

RUSTON - Ashley Palma's two-out run scoring double scored pinch runner Nikki Ducey, sending Louisiana Tech to a 1-0 victory and a doubleheader sweep of Nicholls State Thursday evening at the Lady Techster Softball Complex.

Tech used a dominating pitching performance from Marla Pinkston and a pair of solo home runs from freshman Ashley Cameron to win the first game of the day 6-1 over the Lady Colonels (21-25).

Palma, who was pinch-hitting for the Techsters (20-24), roped a 2-1 fastball off the top of the left field wall and the ball caromed away from the Nicholls State leftfielder, allowing Ducey to score all the way from first base.

Palma's heroics were set up after second baseman Mary Cohn worked a two-out walk off of Nicholls State starter Nichole Wagner, who pitched 6.2 innings allowing five hits and the lone run of the game.

"Tonight we put together everything offensively and defensively," said Tech head coach Sarah Dawson. "We raised our intensity level which we've had problems being inconsistent with and we won both games."

Tech junior Lindsey Meadows picked up her third win of the season, throwing an impressive complete-game shutout while allowing only four hits, four walks and striking out six Lady Colonel batters.

"Lindsey pitched a good game and kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win at the end," Dawson said.

Tech wasted its best scoring opportunity of the second game after juniors Amber Miles and Brittany Stanley led the bottom of the first inning off with back to back singles. After Jen LaRussa advanced the two runners to second and third with a groundout, the Lady Techsters next two hitters were unable to drive either of the runs home.

Following the leadoff singles by Miles and Stanley, Wagner retired 15 straight Tech hitters until Aimee Coleman led off the bottom of the sixth with a single.

After Meadows (3-3) got out of a first inning jam of her own, the Baker, La., native was impressive as Nicholls State never mounted a serious scoring threat until Kristi Blanchard doubled to the left field gap with one out in the top of the seventh. However, Meadows retired two of the next three batters to send the game scoreless into the bottom of the seventh.

In the first game of the afternoon, Louisiana Tech scored runs in five of its six at bats as the Lady Techsters registered 10 hits, including the second and third home runs of the year by Cameron. Tech jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Bridget Broadnax in the first inning and upped the advantage to 2-0 in the second on the first of Cameron's long balls.

"We (recruited) Ashley for her power," Dawson said. "She's been in a freshman slump but came out of it today. Hopefully she will continue this the rest of the year and give us some power in the middle of the lineup."

After Nicholls State scored its lone run of the two games on a solo home run by Jodi Robin in the top of the third, Tech answered with two more runs in the fourth on Cameron's home run and an RBI double by Coleman.

Tech added a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Erin Chernicky and another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Jessica Elson.

Senior Marla Pinkston (11-14) picked up the win, allowing only one run, four hits and one walk in seven innings.

Tech returns to action Tuesday when it travels to UL-Monroe for a 6 p.m. contest.