THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University baseball team put together a four-run sixth to pull within one of Tulane, but the Green Wave added two insurance runs in the final innings to hold off the Colonels, 7-4, Tuesday night on Ben Meyer Diamond at Didier Field.

The Colonels (6-2) had eight hits in the loss and stranded a total of 12 runners. Ethan Valdez and Austin France accounted for half of the hits with two each and France doubled in two in the sixth.

Parker White (1-1) took the loss, allowing a 3-run homer in the first by David Bedgood. He lasted 3.1 innings, giving up three hits while striking out three.

Nicholls had a golden opportunity to get back a few of the runs in the bottom half of the first but came up empty after loading the bases with no outs against Josh Bates (2-0). Valdez led off with a single and following two walks, Bates struck out the next three batters. He finished with six strikeouts in five innings.

After Nicholls left two on in the third and fourth innings, Tulane (7-2) padded its lead in the fifth with two runs. Following a sacrifice fly, Kobi Owen sent one out of the park for a 5-0 lead.

The Colonels got things going in the sixth against reliever Robert Price. Nicholls was issued two free passes on a walk and hit-by-pitch, then Dillon Belle laced a single to right for the Colonels' first run of the game.

Alec Paz kept the inning going with an RBI double to left, and France ripped another double for two runs to trim the deficit to 5-4.

Tulane scored a run in the eighth on an errant throw on a double-play attempt and added one more in the ninth on an RBI groundout. France led off the bottom of the frame with a base hit, but a double play stalled the rally as Connor Pellerin picked up his first save of the season.

UP NEXT
The Colonels will head to Lake Charles for four games over the weekend - two against McNeese and two versus Holy Cross. The next home game is scheduled for Mardi Gras Tuesday against Louisiana-Lafayette.