Final Stats HUNTSVILLE, Texas – After getting shutout the night before, the Nicholls State University baseball team more than doubled its hit total and looked to be on the positive end of some good fortune against Sam Houston State getting seven runs in a wild fourth inning, but the Bearkats scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth and nine unanswered to retake the lead and claim the series with a 13-8 win Saturday evening at Don Sanders Stadium.

Falling behind yet again early, the Colonels (23-24, 6-14 SLC) went up big after getting seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to lead 7-2, only to go up 8-4 after five. But the wheels began to fall off for Nicholls late as the Bearkats (30-17, 14-6) remained relentless at the plate outhitting Nicholls 16-10 during the game to rally and claim the series.

With a four-run lead behind him, starter Kory Delange was poised to earn his seventh win of the season but instead settled for the no decision after getting battered in the sixth to tie the game with Marc Picciola (1-3) taking the loss after allowing the inherited runners on base to score along with giving up the run to give Sam Houston State the lead back. Delange allowed eight runs, six earned, on seven this with three walks and three strikeouts, as Picciola lasted just a third of an inning giving up a run on three hits. Taylor Byrd was the only Colonel hurler not to give up a run on the day pitching 1.1 innings with two strikeouts, as Jordan McCoy gave up the final four insurance runs to Sam Houston State in the bottom of the eighth on five hits.

Tyler Duplantis led the Colonels at the plate going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, followed by David Zorn's 2-for-4 afternoon with two-RBI and a run scored as the Colonels had nine hits on the afternoon. Although Nicholls was able to force SHSU starter Tyler Eppler out of the game, they were unable to figure out his replacements in Logan Boyd, Michael Burchett and Alan Scott who combined for five shutout innings with three strikeouts and one walk.

The Bearkats wasted little time putting a crooked number on the board, getting two runs on three hits in the bottom of the second to take an early lead. After a nice defensive play, a throwing error put a runner on with one out for SHSU, with a single bringing in the first unearned run, with two more hits loading the bases for a sacrifice fly for the second.

Zorn finally registered hit in the Nicholls column with a double down the right field line in the top of the third, moving to third base after a wild pitch. However, with two outs already on the board a swinging strikeout on a wild pitch ended the inning.

The Colonels finally broke through for the first time on the weekend in the fourth and it all began with the first walk of the day for Eppler to Keith Cormier to put one on with one out. An error at short by Sam moved Cormier to second and put Brandon Jackson at third. A single by Duplantis to center scored Cormier to cut the lead in half with still just one out. Another error, this time at third, allowed Barba to reach safely and scored Jackson to knot the game at 2-2.

A walk to Philip Lyons loaded the bases and another walk to Cody Dufrene scored Duplatis to give Nicholls the 3-2 lead to keep the bases loaded. The strangest play of the game, and biggest for the Colonels, came next as Zorn singled through the right side and scored Barba and Lyons, but the ball rolled through the right fielder's legs allowing not only Dufrene to score from first but Zorn as well to clear the bases and put Nicholls up 7-2 on the third Bearkat error of the inning.

After getting the first out, a walk to the second batter was costly for Delange as Sam Houston State right fielder Ryan O'Hearn drilled a shot well over the right field fence for the two-run home run to make it a 7-4 game.

A bunt single by Jackson put the third baseman on to open the fifth, as a high-chopping single over the head of the first baseman gave Duplantis his second hit of the game and put runners at the corners with no outs. Barba got the first run back for Nicholls with a single through the left side scoring Jackson to push the lead to 8-4, moving Duplantis to second. Eppler was replaced after the single and got Lyons to ground out but advanced the runners to second and third. Another weird play happened with Dufrene at bat, as he sent a ball sky high behind second base that looked caught but fell between two defenders for the hit but got Barba out at second for the second out and a strikeout to end the inning.

After giving up the home run, Delange retired six consecutive SHSU batters over the next few innings before eventually being replaced for Picciola after giving up a two-RBI double to make it 8-6 with one out in the bottom of the sixth. The righty started on a bad note and it would only get worse as he gave up a single to tie the game on his opening pitch then gave up two more to allow Sam to retake the lead 9-8. Picciola would get the second out of the inning and was replaced by Taylor Byrd who struck out the final batter to end the inning.

First pitch for the finale against the Bearkats is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch in Huntsville.