THIBODAUX, La. – Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Nicholls State University baseball team rallied with three runs to take Game 1 against the University of Central Arkansas, 5-4, Thursday night at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.
The game stayed within reach thanks to 3.2 scoreless innings from graduate student
Christian Bahlinger, who improved to 3-2. The Mandeville native struck out three, walked one and allowed just one hit.
Senior right hander
Cayden Hatcher earned the no decision as he surrendered four runs on 11 hits in 5.1 innings while throwing on short rest.
The Colonels (24-30, 12-16 SLC) were outhit 12-6 but recorded three key base knocks in the final frame. Senior
Joey Morales commenced the ninth with a single to right center and fellow senior
Chet Niehaus followed with a bunt single. Senor
Kyle Knauth then stroked a 2-2 pitch down the right-field line for a bases-clearing double to tie the game at four.
Senior
Lee Clark was hit by a pitch and sophomore
Dillon Belle walked to load the bases for
Gage Teer, who beat out the throw to first on a fielder's choice to shortstop Josh Somdecerff.
The Bears (32-21, 17-11 SLC) received three hits from first baseman Tyler Smith and two hits apiece from designated hitter Colby LeBlanc and catcher William Hancock. UCA had four different student-athletes drive home a run.
The Bears jumped on Nicholls with three runs and five hits in the second inning. Smith singled to start the barrage and LeBlanc recorded a double to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Hancock then lined a single to left field to score the first run of the game. Somdecerff and outfielder Keaton Presley produced two more runs on sacrifice flies.
The Colonels answered with a run in the bottom of the second when Belle dropped an RBI single into left field that plated freshman
Xane Washington.
UCA quickly countered with a run of its own in the next half-inning as Smith and Leblanc managed a double and a single, respectively. Hatcher responded by maneuvering out of the inning on three straight groundouts.
Clark struck an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the fourth that scored Niehaus to cut the deficit to two at 4-2. The contest remained at that count until Nicholls made its move in the bottom of the ninth.
The Colonels return to the Did on Friday for Game 2 against the Bears. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Visit
geauxcolonels.com and follow the team on Twitter
@Nicholls_BASE for the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball. Season tickets, six suite tickets per game at $20/ticket, 15- and 25-game flex packages and
Coaches Committee passes are available for purchase. Contact the ticket office at
985-448-4790 or go to
www.nichollstickets.com for more information.
