THIBODAUX, La. – Senior
Juan Givan and sophomore
Ethan Valdez combined for six hits and eight RBIs as the Nicholls State University baseball team put an end to a three-game skid with a 13-5 victory over Alcorn State Tuesday night at Ray E. Didier Field.
Nicholls (14-11) has now won its last five games at home and upped its record in Thibodaux to 11-3. The Colonels will be looking to improve on that number with four home games in the next five days, including the series finale against Alcorn (7-16) Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
Givan and Valdez led the offense with three hits each, accounting for nearly half of Nicholls' 13 hits on the night.
Chet Niehaus and
Quade Smith also had multi-hit games with two each and combined for five runs scored.
The Colonels found themselves down 5-2 after 3.5 innings before the bats got going in the fourth. Nicholls used four hits to put together a five-run inning, highlighted by a bases loaded double by Niehaus to plate two. From then on, Nicholls stayed on top with the help on a strong showing out of the bullpen by
Daniel Goff, while the offense added six unanswered runs.
Goff threw 6.0 innings out of the pen, struck out six and allowed three unearned runs on three hits. The runs came across the plate in the fourth when two errors led to a 5-2 lead for the visitors.
Zach Autin made the start, allowing one earned run on three hits in 2.0 innings.
After Nicholls took the lead in the bottom half, Valdez ripped a single to center to drive in
Troy Cahill, extending the lead to 8-5 in the fifth. In the seventh, Givan continued to be red-hot with a base knock up the middle that plated two. Since being inserted into the starting lineup eight games ago, Givan is batting .400 with a team-high 12 hits and eight RBIs.
Givan and Valdez each drove in a run in the seventh and Smith was able to score on an errant throw to give Nicholls a 13-5 advantage.
Alex Ernestine pitched the ninth, walking one and had one strikeout.
Daniel Corona took the loss for Alcorn, surrendering five earned on seven hits. Der'Vincent Hamilton led the Braves with two RBIs.
