BEAUMONT, Texas - After the Nicholls State University baseball team tied the game in the eighth on a wild pitch, Alec Paz delivered a 2-run single for the lead and the Colonels went on to defeat Lamar, 4-2, Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Paz drove in three runs in the game, including the first for the Colonels in the opening inning. He had one of five hits for Nicholls, with Ethan Valdez and Dane Simon recording two each.
Lamar scored two in the third against Trever Kilcrease to go up 2-1 and shutout the Colonels until the eighth inning. With two outs in the decisive frame, Valdez got things going with a base hit. The next two Colonels were hit by a pitch, and then the tying run came home on the wild toss to the plate. Paz then came through in the clutch for the game-winning runs.
Colin Kramer recorded the final five outs for the Colonels to pick up the save.
Kilcrease scattered nine hits in 7.1 innings and struck out six. Lamar tagged him for four hits in the third, with the last by JC Correa giving Lamar a 2-1 advantage.
The Cardinals outhit Nicholls, 11-5, but had two errors in the setback. Cole Girouard and Anthony Quirion each tallied three hits for the home team. On the mound, Noah Sills struck out five in 7.2 innings and gave up two earned in the loss.
ON DECK
The Colonels and Lamar continue the series Saturday at 12 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. but was pushed it due to approaching weather.
