THIBODAUX, La. -- The Nicholls State University baseball program rebounded in historic fashion during Sunday afternoon's rubber match against Stephen F. Austin, climbing back from down seven runs to seal an eventual 13-7 victory over the visiting Lumberjacks in the team's home finale at Didier Field. The rally serves as the largest completed comeback bid for the Colonels under head coach Seth Thibodeaux, and capturing the 2-1 series win over SFA helps the Red & Gray move into serious contention for one of the final remaining seeds in the Southland Conference Tournament. 

With the victory, Nicholls improves to a 27-25 overall record (13-14 Southland) on the year while Stephen F. Austin falls to a 22-30 mark (14-13 Southland).

The contest truly proved a tale of two "halves" for the Colonels, who surrendered seven runs while committing four errors across the opening four frames. After senior Parker White (4-3) took over on the mound midway through the fourth, though, Nicholls managed to settle into its usually defensively-sound self, giving up no runs and just two hits for the remainder of the matchup.

In notably dramatic fashion, the Red & Gray offense opted to wake up just around the same time the defense solidified, initially sparking the rally in the fifth inning. Ethan Valdez got the Colonels on the board for the first time with a one-out single up the middle, scoring fellow senior Champ Davison from second. Following a Brady Bell groundout advanced Valdez over to third, Adam Tarver crushed a pitch over the left-field wall, officially announcing the comeback bid as Nicholls pulled within four.

After an uneventful sixth, Valdez once again poured fuel on the fire for the Colonels, leading off the frame with a double to left center. Just one out deep into the inning, Alec Paz brought Valdez home on a sacrifice fly to center, setting off a chain reaction of RBI singles behind him in the batting order, as Austin France, Christopher Sandberg and Waylon LeBlanc each found a gap to score one apiece. The final RBI single -- LeBlanc's drive up the middle -- sent France home from second, knotting the score at 7-7.

The eighth would prove more exciting for the Red & Gray than its predecessor, as Bell got things started off a single through the right side. Despite a careful approach from the SFA pitcher, Tarver grabbed ahold of a 3-1 pitch in the strike zone, nearly replicating his early two-run shot as the Colonels completed the rally for a 9-7 advantage. LeBlanc, Davison and Valdez would compile a joint four RBIs to close out the game-clinching inning, setting up White to wrap up the eventual six-run victory in the ninth.

Shane Mejia Jr. opened for the Colonels on the mound, tossing just 1.1 frames with two runs allowed (none earned) on two hits with one strikeout before Peter Holland filled in as primary relief for 2.0 innings, setting down three on strikes with five runs surrendered (two earned) on three hits. White took over in the fourth and picked up the win, finishing with 5.2 innings pitched, one strikeout, no runs allowed and just two hits.

UP NEXT
With the Red & Gray home slate concluded, the Colonels shift focus to their final three regular season games on the road as the team travels to Abilene Christian in a key Southland series next weekend, set to run Thursday, May 16 through Saturday, May 18.

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