THIBODAUX, La. – Freshman lefty
Shane Mejia Jr. tossed six scoreless innings during Nicholls State University's 7-3 series-clinching victory Sunday over Southern Illinois University at Ben Meyer Diamond at Didier Field.
Mejia Jr. (1-0) scattered three hits, struck out five and walked one in his first collegiate start. All three hits allowed were singles and only one runner reached scoring position while he was on the mound.
Blake Begner (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings.
The Colonels (2-1) earned the first run of the game in all three games this weekend as senior shortstop
Ethan Valdez took advantage of two passed balls to come home in the third inning.
Nicholls added three more runs in the fifth. Senior
Champ Davison, making his second career start, plated freshman
Mason Turner on a two-out single to left-center field. Junior
Alec Paz struck out afterwards, but the ball bounced off the ground and away from SIU (1-2) catcher Austin Ulick, allowing sophomore
Austin France to score junior
Dillon Belle and Davison on a bases-loaded single to right-center field.
Junior
Peter Holland entered for Mejia Jr. in the seventh and got the first two outs quickly before surrendering back-to-back singles, the second of which brought home the Salukis first run of the game. Sophomore
Brandon Andrews was called upon and retired the next batter in one pitch.
The Colonels struck again with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Paz roped a single to left field that scored Davison and later came around on a throwing error by catcher Aiden McMahan on a called third strike.
SIU found two more runs in the eighth, capped by a solo homer from cleanup hitter Alex Lyon, but Nicholls answered with a run of its own in the bottom half when Davison plated Valdez on a two-out single to center field. The Red and Grey scored all seven runs with two outs.
Junior southpaw
Zach Autin retired the side with 11 pitches in the ninth to seal the win.
Davison and France each finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Colonels resume their nine-game home stretch with a two-game set against Alcorn on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
Visit
geauxcolonels.com for the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter
@Nicholls_BASE.
