Nicholls baseball will remain in Louisiana for eight-game streak

After dropping the three-game series against the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas last weekend, the Nicholls State University baseball team begins an eight-game streak in Louisiana starting tonight at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.

GAME RECAPS
Despite maintaining the lead through the seventh inning, the Colonels ended up dropping the first game to the Cardinals 7-6 in fifteen innings.

A few Cardinal errors early in the game allowed the Colonels to put the first two points on the scoreboard when junior Ethan Valdez and senior Joey Morales reached home plate in the first inning.

Heading into the eighth inning, the Colonels led the Cardinals 4-3, but UIW added three runs to take a 6-4 lead. The Colonels answered in the ninth with two more, leaving the score tied at 6-6 until extra innings finally ended in the fifteenth with a walk-off hit that resulted in the Cardinal victory.

The Colonels bounced back in the second game where they earned a 5-2 victory, fueled by senior right-handed pitcher Cayden Hatcher’s strong performance on the mound. Hatcher held the Cardinals scoreless through eight innings, and graduate student Christian Bahlinger closed out the ninth inning with the bases loaded.

In the series finale, the Colonels fell 7-6 despite maintaining a lead going into the final frame. Nicholls racked up ten hits in the final matchup led by senior outfielders Lee Clark and Chet Niehaus.

In the ninth inning, two batters in a row were walked and another was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, which allowed the Cardinals to score two runs and steal the series.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
The Colonels are 14-23 overall and 6-9 in the Southland Conference (SLC). Of the five series they have played against teams within the SLC, the Colonels have only claimed one series victory, which was over McNeese State University on March 23-25.

There are still five SLC series remaining in the season, so the Colonels still have a shot at rising above the other competitors they have not yet faced in the conference, including Southeastern Louisiana University, Lamar University, Stephen F. Austin University, the University of New Orleans and the University of Central Arkansas.

Of the remaining five SLC series, two will be hosted at Nicholls. The Colonels are currently ranked eighth out of thirteen teams in the SLC.

HOT NEAR HOME
The Colonels have proved they can defend their home turf, as their home record is currently 12-8. After having played in Texas last weekend, the Colonels will begin an eight-game streak of games which will either be played at home or in the state of Louisiana, starting this Wednesday night at home against Mississippi Valley State University.

After the mid-week game against MVSU, Nicholls will face in-state rival SELU in Hammond for a three-game series, which is scheduled to begin this Friday at 6 p.m.