Final Stats 1 | Final Stats 2 THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team (14-14, 6-2 SLC) split Saturday's doubleheader with the Golden Eagles, falling 3-2 in game one before storming back for a 10-6 victory in game two.

The first match was a defensive battle, with the teams combining for only eight hits and five runs.  Oral Roberts (12-13, 3-5 SLC) took the lead in the first inning when Matt Brandy knocked a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in Logan Domenico. The Golden Eagles would increase their lead in the third when Brandy pushed a single through the right side, scoring Brandon Healy, and Tyler Boss doubled, sending Brandy home.

Nicholls would answer in the fourth inning with a single from Charles Morton that sent Keith Cormier home, bringing the score to 3-1. In the sixth a Marc Frazier single would bring in Philip Lyons and pull the Colonels within one.

But Oral Roberts was able to hang onto the lead through three scoreless innings and earn a 3-2 victory.

Taylor Byrd (4-2) led the Colonels at the mound, throwing 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while walking four and fanning four. Cole Stapler took over for Byrd, pitching only 2/3 innings, but allowed no runs and no hits. Stuart Holmes pitched one inning surrendering one hit, and John Satriano pitched the final two, allowing no hits and no runs.

Kurt Giller (2-3) was the starter for the Golden Eagles on the bump, throwing seven innings while giving up two runs on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Jordan Romano earned the save, throwing the final two innings, allowing no hits and no runs with four strikeouts.

At the plate Lyons led Nicholls with one hit and one run.  Morton and Frazier each registered a hit and an RBI.

The leading batter for Oral Roberts was Brandy, with a hit, a run and two RBIs.

Game two was the polar opposite of game one as the teams caught fire from the plate to combine for 16 runs on 25 hits.

Similar to game one, Oral Roberts took the early lead in the first inning after a sacrifice fly from Jose Trevino scored Domenico.

The Colonels turned the game around in the bottom of the first when a single from Frazier brought Leo Vargas home. A Tyler Duplantis hit knocked in Cormier and gave Nicholls its first lead of the series.  David Zorn blew the game open with a monster triple to right field that cleared the bases, scoring Frazier and Duplantis.

Hot hitting continued for the Colonels in the second inning as Vargas doubled to send Lyons and Jackson home before Cormier doubled to bring in Vargas.  Cormier would score on a fielder's choice to put Nicholls ahead 8-1.

The Colonels added two more insurance runs in the fifth behind a Vargas single that scored Zorn and a walk by Cormier with bases loaded that brought Christian Correa home.

Oral Roberts made things interesting, scoring three runs in the sixth and two runs in the eighth to pull within four, but the comeback fell short as Nicholls took the game 10-6.

Vargas had a huge game for the Colonels at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Cormier continued his hot hitting with a 3-for-4 night, scoring twice and driving in two.  Brandon Jackson was 3-for-4 in the game with a run.

Audie Afenir went 2-for-4 for the Golden Eagles with an RBI, while Boss was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Grant Borne (4-1) received the win throwing six innings with four earned runs on six hits and fanning five. Frazier pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Marc Picciola earned his fifth save of the season throwing 1 1/3 innings and allowing just one hit with one strikeout.

Guillermo Trujillo (1-2) took the loss throwing just one inning, in which he allowed seven earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Phillip Wilson relieved Trujillo, throwing 3 1/3 innings with two earned runs on four hits and fanning two.  Denny Clement pitched only 1/3 inning, allowing one earned run on one hit. Jacob Teague threw 1 1/3 and Jacob McDavid threw the final two, allowing just one hit and no runs combined.

The Colonels and Golden Eagles will face off tomorrow in the final game of the weekend series, beginning at 1 p.m. Radio coverage can be found on KTIB 640 AM.