THIBODAUX, La. - Alec Paz and Mason Turner had home runs in the second inning, Ethan Valdez totaled three hits and freshman Shane Mejia improved to 4-0 as the Nicholls State University baseball team won the series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a 6-3 victory Sunday afternoon on Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.
After the Islanders scored an unearned run in the second, Nicholls (13-12, 5-4 SLC) answered with two homers to left, with Turner's 2-run shot giving the Colonels a 3-1 lead. Dillon Belle added an RBI single up the middle in the third and Nicholls never looked back.
Mejia struck out four in the victory, allowing two earned runs on six hits in 5.0 inning. Freshman Tyler Theriot was credited with his first save of the season, throwing 3.2 innings of perfect relief. With Nicholls leading 5-3 in the sixth with one out and runners in scoring position, Theriot came in and kept Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (16-11, 5-4 SLC) off the board with a pair of groundouts.
Nicholls had nine hits in the win, with its final two runs coming home on Dane Simon sacrifice flies. In the fifth and seventh frames, the Colonels had a batter reach on a walk before Valdez singled to set up Simon.
A.G. Ayala took the loss, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Paz hit a leadoff homer against him in the second, and after Adam Tarver drew a walk, Turner belted one over the left field wall.
With Nicholls leading 4-1 in the fifth, Nick Anderson pulled the Islanders to within one with a clutch two-out single to center which plated two.
After Simon's first sac fly, the Islanders threatened again in the sixth. Parker White allowed a pair of leadoff singles and a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Theriot not only got out of the jam, but he went on to retire all 11 batters he faced for the save. Along with two strikeouts in his appearance, Theriot had a highlight throw to first on a fielded bunt to end the eighth.
ON DECK
Nicholls will head to Metairie to take on Southern Miss Tuesday, March 26 at the Shine on Airline. To order tickets, visiting ticketmaster.com. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
