Final Stats HOUSTON, Texas – After being held scoreless in the opener, the Nicholls State University baseball team got its offense going in a big way on Saturday scoring nine runs on seven hits in a 9-2 win in game two against the Houston Baptist Huskies.

After struggling at the plate at-length on Friday, the Colonels (1-1) were the ones finding their stride at the plate, scoring the first two runs of the game in the second inning, with a big four-run inning in the fifth to take a comfortable 6-0 lead that was never in harm as Nicholls got three more insurance runs over the final two innings to cruise to the win.

Redshirt junior Tyler Duplantis and senior Matt Richard had four of Nicholls' seven hits on the day, with Duplantis going 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Richard was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Keith Cormier had a hit and scored twice, while Seth Stevens had hit, RBI and scored and Leo Vargas garnered a hit and scored. Richard and Stevens each had a triple in the game, as the Colonels took advantage of their chances with runners on base, finishing the day with four stolen bases.

In his first start in the Red and Gray, Taylor Byrd earned his first win as a Colonel after lasting 4.1 innings, allowing just two runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Those runs given up by Byrd came in the fifth after Nicholls had already gone up by six, with the Colonel relievers in Kelby Langston and Jordan McCoy 4.2 innings of scoreless ball in relief. Langston gave up just two hits in 3.2 innings of work with a strikeout, while McCoy faced just four batters and struck out one with no hits to close the door on the Huskies.

The Stevens triple kick started the Nicholls scoring drive as he scored Cormier who got on base with a walk to begin the second. After a strikeout, Cody Dufrene hit a grounder to the shortstop scoring Stevens to give Nicholls an early 2-0 advantage.

Walk's proved to be costly for the Huskies going forward as after a free pass to Ray Eureste with one out in the fifth, Richard hit a shot to centerfield for his triple scoring Eureste and putting the Colonels up 3-0. After another walk to Vargas on the next at bat, a passed ball allowed Richard to score and advance Vargas to second. After a walk to Philip Lyons, a fielder's choice on Cormier's at bat put runners on the corners with two outs. A wild pitch, balk and another wild pitch allowed both Vargas and Cormier to eventually score for the final two runs of the inning.

Cole Wilson scored the only run in the eighth inning, pinch running for Cormier who singled to second base to lead off the inning. A single by Duplantis advanced Wilson to second, eventually stealing third and scoring on a wild pitch to give Nicholls a 7-2 advantage. In the ninth, a Richard single and two stolen bases in the frame would lead to a bases loaded situation after successive walks to Chris Miller and Stevens. A pitching change for the Huskies didn't do too much good as Duplantis singled through the left side driving in two for the final scores of the contest.

The series finale will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon in Houston.