Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team had 12 hits, and starter Mike Suk gave up one run on three hits in seven innings, but the Colonels still had to go down to the wire on Friday against McNeese State as Keith Cormier tied the game with a solo home run in the eighth and drove in the winning run on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth to defeat the Cowboys 4-3 in Thibodaux.

Looking like they would be on the losing end of another one-run loss Friday night, the Colonels (19-20, 3-10 SLC) fought back three times on the evening pulling out the game in the end, trailing 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 at different points in the contest.

McNeese State (19-16-6-7) earned two of their three runs on five hits, but got some help in the form of an error and wild pitch during the game to get some luck on their side that wouldn't be enough to overcome Nicholls late. After giving up that one run, Suk retired 11 of the next 12 Cowboy batters to keep the visitors staggering at the plate striking out nine.

Just last week, the Colonels had a chance to win the series at Central Arkansas and lost it in heartbreaking fashion in the finale, with history looking like it was going to repeat itself on Friday. Kelby Langston pitched the eighth and allowed an unearned run, while Jordan McCoy (2-2) came on in the ninth and gave up a run on a wild pitch after giving up an opening inning double. Instead, McCoy earned the win and McNeese State's Lucas Quary (0-1) took the loss after coming on in the bottom half of the inning and squandering an eight inning performance by starter Blake Ware who gave up one run on nine hits with five strikeouts in settling for the no-decision.

Just as he did on Tuesday night against Louisiana-Lafayette, Cormier tied the game with a solo blast in the eighth after McNeese State went back up to make it 2-all on his only hit of the game, while in the ninth after three-straight bunt singles and a sacrifice fly by Philip Lyons to tie the game, Cormier hit it deep enough to center field scoring Matt Richard to plate the final run of the game. Matt Richard led Nicholls offensively going 3-for-5 with a run scored, followed by Lyons, Leo Vargas and Tyler Duplantis each having two.

Richard singled up the middle to open the three-hit frame for Nicholls, but was picked off on first which hurt because Vargas singled up the middle in the next at bat. Lyons hit a shot to short left field to put two on with one out. The team stranded the two as a pop fly and grounder to first ended the inning.

Duplantis continued where the Colonels left of in the last inning getting a single through the left side to kick off the second. A fielder's choice got Duplantis at second for the first out, with Cody Dufrene getting hit by a pitch to move Stevens to second. After a swinging strikeout, Richard lined a shot to second base to load the bases, but another swinging strikeout ended the inning.

McNeese State didn't get its first hit until the third inning, and although it didn't do damage with the runner getting picked off, a walk and a double off of the wall in right center drove in the first run of the game to put the Cowboys up 1-0 with one out. A strikeout kept the runner at second, with an infield popup ending the inning.

Duplantis connected again in an opening at bat of a frame, lacing a single to right field to open the bottom of the fourth, with a walk to Stevens putting two on with no outs. Dufrene laid down a bunt to third base resulting in an error scoring Duplantis to tie the game at 1-all. Another bunt attempt was hit directly at the pitcher to get Stevens charging home for the first out. A deep pop fly to center was the second out, with a strikeout ending the inning.

Langston came on in the eighth and an error by Vargas and a sacrifice bunt, a single to deep left field scored the run from second to put the Cowboys up 2-1. That lead would be short lived as Cormier homered to left to tie the game at 2-2.

The bad luck started in the very first at bat for McCoy in the top of the ninth, as a double down the left field line spelled doom as a sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to third. A wild pitch in the next at bat allowed the run to score to put McNeese State back up 3-2 with three outs remaining for the Colonels.

Back-to-back bunt singles from Mike Barba and Richard put two on with no outs in the bottom half of the same inning, with Vargas placing another perfect bunt to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly by Lyons scored Barba and advanced Richard to third to tie the game. After Vargas advanced to second on a wild pitch, Brandon Jackson was intentionally walked to load the bases, when Cormier hit a fly ball to center field allowing Richard to score the game-winning run.

Game two of the series begins Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Thibodaux.