Final Stats NEW ORLEANS, La. – Even after giving up a bottom of the ninth grand slam to tie the game, the Nicholls State University baseball team did not get rattled and scored eight runs in the top of the 11th to defeat the UNO Privateers 15-7 Tuesday night in New Orleans.

Sophomore second baseman Phil Lyons finished one hit short of the cycle, ending the night with four hits in a career-high seven at bats, driving in a career best five RBI's on the evening in the win for Nicholls (10-7). Lyons and Mike Barba each hit a home run in the win as well, as both are the first of their careers.

On the night the Colonels got 15 hits, as Blake Bergeron went 3-for-5, Barba finished 2-for-5 and six other Colonels earned hits for the team in the game.

Donnie White (1-0) grabbed the victory for Nicholls, throwing the last 2.1 innings giving up only one run on three hits with a strikeout. The Colonels had five pitchers throw in the game as six of UNO's seven runs were earned.

The Colonels didn't wait long to send a message to the Privateers, as Lyons took a fastball and drilled it over the right field fence for the first home run of his career giving Nicholls a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

After a LeGrange ground out to begin the second, Bergeron hit a shot into right field that looked like it was bound for the parking lot, but caught the high fence and earned a triple for the third baseman giving Nicholls another scoring threat. Austin Flores got walked and then took second to put two in scoring position for the Colonels with only one out. Evan Weibel brought in Bergeron on a sacrifice fly to give Nicholls a 2-0 lead after two.

UNO scored in the bottom of the second, using a Nicholls error and two hits to drive in their first run of the game, but left a runner on base unable to continue the inning.

With two outs in the third, Hill used the opportunity to get a hit on the board, getting a single out into left to begin a two-out rally. In the very next at bat, Faulk continued his hot streak, doubling to center to drive in Hill and give Nicholls a 3-1 lead.

An opening inning triple by New Orleans would come back to haunt Nicholls, as an infield groundout allowed the runner to score uncontested to make the score 3-2 Nicholls in the bottom of the fourth. In the very next inning, the Colonels plated just one run in the fifth, but Barba made it a big one by sending a solo shot to the hill over the fence in left field putting Nicholls up 4-2.

In the sixth the Colonels got another scoring threat in LeGrange, after getting on with a walk and stealing second. Bergeron singled to left in his at bat, but it wasn't enough to drive in LeGrange from second as he would be thrown out at home plate. Flores would ground out to end the inning.

Weibel led off the seventh with a single to center prompting a UNO pitching change. Even with the break, the Colonels still capitalized as Barba doubled to center field to drive in Matt Richard who pinch ran for the catcher during the change putting Nicholls up 5-2.

In the eighth, the Colonels got on base after LeGrange was walked two outs into the inning. After LeGrange stole second, Bergeron singled to left center to drive in right fielder, but got thrown out at third after the relay throw to try and catch LeGrange at home wasn't in time, and was able to get Bergeron before he got to the base to end the inning, but not before the Colonels wet up 6-2.

Pinch hitting for Weibel, Chase Garrett got on first after striking out on a wild pitch that got past the UNO catcher to reach first. Adam Seal came on to hit for David Zorn and got the first hit of his Nicholls career, sending one into right field. Garrett got caught stealing third, but Barba walked in the next at bat to get two runners back on. Lyons cracked a single through the right field side to bring in Byron Cobb who pinch ran for Seal putting Nicholls up 7-2.

UNO's Cameron Wheeless took UNO's final strike and drilled it over the left field fence for the grand slam, adding to the passed ball score the Privateers had cross the plate before the home run to tie the game at seven.

Cody Dufrene and Cobb both got hit by pitches to lead off the 11th. A perfectly put down sacrifice bunt by Barba got past the pitcher that slipped on the turf putting Colonels on all three bases with no outs. Lyons with an open shot to take over, doubled to left field to drive in Dufrene and Cobb to give Nicholls a 9-7 lead. After a Kevin Persick groundout, Faulk got hit by a pitch to load the bases back up. Taking the first pitch he saw, LeGrange cleared the bases on a triple to right center getting back to a comfortable five-run lead. After a fielder's choice by Bergeron forcing out LeGrange at home, Flores reached on a UNO error to continue the inning with two outs. After both advanced on a passed ball, Dufrene walked to load the bases up again and was followed by Cobb's first hit and RBI of his young career putting Nicholls up six. At that point the Privateers were out of hurlers and on the next at bat after the pitching change, Barba was hit by a pitch to drive in Flores and Lyons got his second hit of the inning to drive in Dufrene for the final run of the game.

The Colonels will be back in action this weekend, hosting the Sam Houston State Bearkats for the second weekend of conference play.