Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. – After spotting Southeastern three runs in the first inning of the opening conference weekend, the Colonels were able to rally and eventually get ahead of the Southeastern Lions Friday night, but not before Nicholls would need to get out of sticky situations late in the game to fend off the Lion attack and win 10-9 in Thibodaux.

Seth Webster (2-2) earned the win for the Colonels breaking a two game slide for the senior, as Jordan McCoy picked up his fourth save of the year, and third straight in as many appearances. Webster went six innings, using 122 pitches to scatter nine hits and allow five runs, three earned with a walk and strikeout.

Kaleb Manuel earned the loss for the Lions (10-4, 0-1) and the Colonels have won the opening game of the series against the Lions for the second straight year.

Beau Faulk paced the Colonels at the plate going 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored, while Philip Lyons, Michael LeGrange, Austin Flores and Evan Weibel finished with two hits. Blake Bergeron and Weibel finished with three RBI's on the night, as three other Colonels finished with at least one RBI.

Ladd Rhodes led Southeastern at the plate with four hits in five at bats on the night, while Brock Herbert drove in three runs for the Lions.

An error by the Colonels in the first inning, as well as four hits in the frame by the Lions gave the visitors a 3-0 lead, as Nicholls found themselves in a deep hole at home early.

The Colonels finally got base runners on in the second with a leadoff walk to Bergeron, and then followed by LeGrange who laced a ball over the third baseman's head down the left field line for a double to put runners at scoring position. After a strikeout by Faulk and Flores, Weibel stepped up to the plate and belted a double to left center to score both runners on base, making the score 3-2 after two.

After getting in a little bit of trouble with runners at the corners, Webster got out of a tough jam ending the top of the third with a 1-6-3 double play to keep Southeastern off the board. 

Lyons led off the bottom half of the inning, singling up the middle then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Hill grounded out to advance Lyons to third, Bergeron stepped up to the plate and flew out to right field for the sacrifice fly to bring in the second baseman to tie the game at 3-3. After LeGrange walked and then stole second with two outs, Faulk drilled a single to left field to bring in LeGrange to take the 4-3 lead, then after he advanced to second on the throw was brought in by Flores on a single to end the night for Koon and give Nicholls a two-run lead.

The Lions came back to tie the game in the fourth, scoring two runs in the inning and came close to scoring more but the Colonels got out of the inning without further damage. Walks to Lyons and Hill in the bottom of the fourth, and a wild pitch by the Lions put runners at the corners with only one out, but the Colonels were unable to plate any runs in the inning to keep the score tied.

Beau Faulk led off the bottom of the fifth with a double down the left field line, and then advanced to third on a Flores single. With runners again at the corners, Weibel hit a fly ball to left field to bring in Faulk giving the Colonels the lead 6-5. Flores stole second while Richard struck out swinging to put another runner in scoring position, and was followed by a walk to Barba. A single up the middle by Lyons brought in Flores from second, putting Barba and Lyons at second and third as they would end the inning there but not before the Colonels put up two in the inning to go up 7-5.

A single by LeGrange, followed by a double by Faulk in the bottom of the sixth gave the Colonels an opportunity to pad the lead, but couldn't get the runners across the plate.

In the seventh, Barba got on with a walk, and then advanced to second after stealing the base. That stolen base rattled Southeastern as he would advance to third on an error by SLU pitcher Tanner Rainey. Lyons got hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, and a passed ball scored Barba giving Nicholls an 8-5 lead. Another passed ball walked Hill and allowed Lyons to take third. Bergeron then laced a double to score both Lyons and Hill easily to go up 10-5. Although Bergeron would advance to third on a Southeastern error, the last two batters struck out to end the inning.

The Lions rallied in the eighth, scoring four runs in the inning to pull within one of the Colonels at 10-9. Nicholls went to small ball in the home half of the inning, after a leadoff walk to Flores, Weibel put down the sacrifice bunt only to reach first on an error by SLU. Richard then put down the sacrifice bunt to put the runners at second and third, but couldn't capitalize with back-to-back ground outs to end the inning.

Jordan McCoy came in to close out the game, but the Lions led off the inning with a bunt single and followed that up a batter later with a single to put runners at the corners. With one out, Southeastern hit into the second double play for the Colonels to end the game and take the win.

The Colonels will head to Hammond tomorrow for game two of the series.