THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University baseball team fell behind early against Southeastern Louisiana and the visiting Lions cruised to an 11-1 win in seven innings Saturday afternoon on Ben Meyer Diamond at Didier Field.

Nicholls slipped to under .500 at 19-20 overall and 10-11 in the Southland, while Southeastern improved to 21-19 and 12-6. The Colonels have dropped their last three conference series after sweeping Lamar to close out March.

The Colonels were limited to three hits, with Austin France leading the way with a 2 for 3 day. Brady Bell drove him home in the second with an RBI single for the Colonels' lone run of the game.

SLU jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Colonels came to the plate. After Bell's RBI cut the deficit to 2-1, the Lions scored three in the fifth on an error, hit-by-pitch, and a bases-loaded walk.

Kyle Schimpf extended the Lion lead to 7-1 in the sixth with a two-run homer to right field before SLU put the run-rule into play with three in the seventh. France led the final off with a single before SLU turned a double play to end the game.

Mason Knopp threw all seven innings for the Lions and struck out six. He gave up hits in just two innings - the second and the sixth - with both frames ending on double plays.

Jacob Bedevian (3-2) suffered the loss after allowing eight hits and three earned runs in 4.1 innings. Five Colonels saw action out of the bullpen as SLU ended the game with 15 hits.

The 1-4 hitters for the visitors combined for 11 hits and six RBIs. Nicholls had had three errors which led to a pair of unearned runs.

ON DECK
Nicholls will host LSU-Alexandria for a midweek game Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m.