Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. – After jumping out to a five-run lead, the Nicholls State University baseball team once again seemed poised to cruise to a victory on Thursday night, but Southeastern Louisiana had other ideas and scored nine unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh to earn a 9-6 win over Nicholls at Alumni Field in Hammond.

After scoring four runs in the third and one in the fifth, Nicholls (14-13, 1-3 SLC) was held to just one hit for the rest of the game, while the Lions (19-8, 4-0) began to batter Nicholls pitching to the tune of 14 hits as Nicholls starter Mike Suk earned the no-decision after allowing five runs on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Marc Picciola (0-2) took the loss after coming on in relief of Suk allowing three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

The Colonels produced ten hits on the night as Keith Cormier went 2-for-5 with two RBI, with Philip Lyons going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, and six other Colonels registering one. Five different Lions had multiple hits on Thursday, with Sam Roberson being the only SLU hitter to drive in multiple runs with two RBI.

In the top of the third the Colonels broke up the scoreless game with three-straight hits, beginning at the bottom of the order with Mike Barba hitting a bloop single to short right field. Right after that Matt Richard drilled a shot on the ground getting past the third baseman for a standup double scoring Barba, with Leo Vargas getting a single up the middle scoring Richard from second to put Nicholls up 2-0. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Lyons hit a sacrifice fly to left field scoring the shortstop to make it a 3-0 Colonel lead.

The hit parade continued as Brandon Jackson doubled to left field on the first pitch he saw, and even as it looked as if the league leader in ERA in Sean Kennel would get out of the inning with a 1-2 count to Cormier, the left fielder singled to left center scoring Jackson to give Nicholls a 4-0 lead. Tyler Duplantis took a 1-0 pitch into left field for the sixth hit of the inning chasing the SLU starter from the game, giving way to Kyle Cedotal who would get a pop up to end the inning.

In the fifth with one out, Lyons earned his second hit of the game after a single to left field. After a fly ball was caught in foul territory, Cormier came through in the clutch again hitting a screaming shot to deep left field to score Lyons after he stole second to give the Colonels a 5-0 advantage.

The Southeastern bats finally woke up in the bottom of the sixth, getting two runs on three hits, including a double and triple, to pull within three of Nicholls with the score 5-2. Coupled with an error, the inning would have dragged on if not for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to escape with the lead still intact.

After giving up both Lion runs in the previous inning, Suk walked two and gave up a single in the seventh, getting pulled for Picciola who got the first batter he faced to strike out before two wild pitches allowed two runs to score to make it a 5-4 game still with one out. A single by SLU's Harry Slade was his third of the night and drove in the tying run to knot the game at five a piece. It only got worse for Nicholls as a two-RBI single put the Lions up two, as Picciola gave way to Jordan McCoy who gave up two singles to bring in the sixth and seventh runs of the inning for the Lions to put the home team up 9-5.

Cedotal (4-3) eventually earned the win, but not before the next two Lion pitchers would put a big scare into the crowd after three consecutive walks between two pitchers loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs. Dylan Hills pitched the eighth and was looking to close the game but walked the first two, getting replaced for Mason Klotz (3) who walked his first batter before striking out Lyons looking. Jackson hit a fly ball to left field driving in Barba to make it 9-6, but with two outs, a grounder by Cormier ended the game.

The Colonels will host Southeastern on Friday, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. in Thibodaux at Ray E. Didier Field.