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YOUNGSVILLE, La. – Eastern Illinois softball jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Sunday afternoon by the Panthers could not make that lead stand-up as they lost to Nicholls State 4-2 on the final day of the Mardi Gras Mambo.
 
Amber Cieplinski drove in the first run of the game for EIU as the Panthers were on the board first in the top of the second inning.  Lindy Milkowski opened the inning drawing a walk and pinch runner Marama Makea came around to score on the double by Cieplinski.
 
EIU pushed its lead out to 2-0 in the top of the third with Milkowski this time driving in the Panthers run.   Jaylen Prichard, who reached on a two-out single, came around to score.  Prichard finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate, one of two EIU players with multiple hits in the game.
 
Nicholls State answered with unearned runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings to tie the game at 2-2.  Alexa Poche' had a sacrifice fly to drive in the Colonels first run while the run in the fourth scored on a passed ball.
 
Nicholls would do its final damage in the fifth inning as Poche' led off with a walk followed by a single by Samantha Gwiazda.  Lulu Vasquez had the big hit with a two run single giving Nicholls the two run lead. 
 
Paris Lehman entered with two outs in the top of the second and closed out the game improving to 1-4 on the season.  Melise Gossen was the lone Nicholls player with multiple hits going 2-for-4 at the plate.
 
Alexa Rehmeier threw a complete game suffering her first loss of the season to fall to 4-1.  Hannah Cravens joined Prichard with multiple hits going 2-for-3 for EIU.
 
EIU fell to 6-9 on the season. Nicholls improved to 4-11.