BEAUMONT, Texas - Trailing 5-1 in the eighth inning, the Nicholls State University baseball team rallied with five runs, capped on the go-ahead RBI from Adam Tarver, to pick up a 6-5 victory at Lamar Sunday, sweeping the Southland Conference series at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Nicholls improved to 16-13 overall and 8-4 in the SLC. The three-game sweep on the road was the first since for the Colonels since 2014 when they also swept Lamar. The Cardinals dropped to 9-18 on the season and 2-10 in conference.
The Colonels were doubled up in hits, 12-6, but pieced together three in the decisive inning. The first came with the bases loaded when Ethan Valdez singled to left to cut the deficit to 5-2. Champ Davison then walked to bring in a run, and Dane Simon reached on a fielder's choice to bring Nicholls within one. Alec Paz grounded out to tie the game, and Adam Tarver smacked a single to center for the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Colin Kramer came in to pitch after a leadoff single and got a groundout double play to get rid of the tying run on base. The next batter, Robin Adames, hit a shot out to the center field wall, but Simon leaped and caught it to end the game.
No Colonel had more than two hits, with Davison leading the team with two RBIs. He gave Nicholls a 1-0 lead in the third with a single through the right side.
On the mound, Shane Mejia lasted 5.1 innings with four hits allowed and struck out one. Both runs charged to the freshman, one in the fifth and one in the sixth, were unearned. With the no-decision, he stayed at 4-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.12.
Lamar did most of its damage in the seventh with five hits and three runs for a 5-1 lead. A solo home run by Anthony Quirion started the inning, a wild pitch made it 4-1 and then CJ Correa singled in a run to cap the inning.
Matthew Harrison picked up the win after an inning of relief in the eighth, and Kramer earned his second save of the season.
ON DECK
The Colonels return home for a Tuesday night game against Southern on April 2. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
