THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision to McNeese State University Sunday in the series finale on Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.
 
The Cowboys (9-14, 6-3 SLC) received four runs in the ninth inning to steal the game. The Colonels (8-15, 4-5 SLC) held a 4-1 lead entering the ninth.
 
Senior outfielder Chet Niehaus pulled singles through the right side in the third and fifth innings to lift Nicholls to a 3-1 lead. Senior infielder Kyle Knauth walked on four pitches later in the fifth with the bases loaded, increasing the Colonels margin to 4-1. McNeese's lone run in the top of the fifth came via a Michell Rogers homer to left field.
 
That homer by Rogers was Nicholls starter Jacob Bedevian's only pivotal mistake, as he tossed six strong innings during a no decision. The Colonels used three pitchers in the ninth inning, but the Cowboys notched five hits in the frame, including the game-winning two-RBI double by outfielder Shane Selman.
 
McNeese relief pitcher Aidan Anderson improved to 3-4, limiting Nicholls to just one hit in 4.1 innings. Redshirt sophomore Austin Bollinger (1-3) was handed the loss as he was charged for the game-winning run. Sophomore Bryan Taylor breezed through the seventh and eighth innings in 17 pitches before running into trouble in the ninth, allowing three singles before Bollinger took the mound.
 
The defeat snapped a 14-game win streak for the Colonels over the Cowboys in Thibodaux.
 
Nicholls hosts Mississippi State at the Did on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
 
Get your season or single-game tickets now by calling 985-448-4790 or visiting nichollstickets.com. Please click here for more information on joining the 2018 Nicholls Baseball Coaches Committee. Visit geauxcolonels.com for the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter @Nicholls_BASE.