Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. – Looking to recreate some of their magic from last night, the Nicholls baseball team let another lead slip away, but this time the Sam Houston State Bearkats were able to hold on for the 7-4 win Saturday afternoon at Ray E. Didier Field.

Nicholls (11-8, 3-2 SLC)  pounded out 15 hits in the game, but stranded 12 runners over the course of the game, only scoring two runs in the second and eighth innings.

Colonels starter Pat Shreve (2-3) began the game getting out the first eight batters he faced, but began struggling in the fourth and fifth innings where the Bearkats (10-8, 3-2) scored five runs over those innings as Shreve would take the loss pitching just 4.1 innings with all five runs earned with three strikeouts.

Michael LeGrange and Evan Weibel finished with three hits for the Colonels, while Matt Richard, Austin Flores and Blake Bergeron finished with two a piece, with Richard driving in two RBI's on the afternoon. Sam finished with 14 hits in the game, paced by Jake Arrington and Ryan O'Hearn who combined to go 6-for-9 with four RBI's and two runs scored.

The Colonels were walked to lead off the second straight inning in the second as Beau Faulk took the free base. In the next at bat LeGrange doubled to right field giving the Colonels runners at second and third with no outs. After a Bergeron strikeout swinging, Flores grounded out to second base to drive in Faulk and advance LeGrange to third giving Nicholls a 1-0 lead. Weibel then singled through the left side to drive in LeGrange and put Nicholls up 2-0. Richard got an infield single next for the third hit of the inning, but the Colonels would leave two on base to end the inning.

The Bearkats got five hits in the fourth, and with a single through the left side drove in two runs to tie the game with two outs. Then back-to-back singles by the Bearkats drove in another run giving Sam Houston a 3-2 lead before ending the inning with a flyout.

Sam Houston got two more runs in the fifth to go up 5-2, hitting up Shreve for three more hits in the game before being relieved for Delange with only an out in the inning. Delange got the Bearkats to hit into a double play to end the inning.

With two outs in the inning, the Colonels got three straight singles in the bottom of the sixth from LeGrange, Bergeron and Flores, but a fly out to right field on a 1-0 pitch ended the Nicholls inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Colonels had two runners on with only one out after two hits in the inning, but David Zorn grounded into the 4-6-3 double play to end the Nicholls inning.

Sam drove in a sixth run in the eighth on two hits, extending their lead to 6-2.

In the home half, the Colonels were down to two outs after a double play from LeGrange negated a Faulk single. But three consecutive singles by Bergeron, Flores and Weibel put runners in scoring for Richard who singled to center field to drive in Bergeron and Flores to make the score 6-4 Sam. After a Barba walk to re-load the bases, Philip Lyons flew out to right field to end the inning.

Jordan McCoy took the mound for Nicholls in the ninth, but the Bearkats scored another run on two more hits in the inning to go up 7-4.

With Zorn on base after a walk with one out, LeGrange belted his third hit of the afternoon to put two on for the Colonels. But Nicholls could not capitalize on the opportunity as the last two batters flew out to end the game and into the rubber match on Sunday.

The series finale against the Bearkats is set for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.