THIBODAUX, La. -- With two outs in the ninth and the game-winning run standing on third, sophomore Mason Turner took his turn at the plate, driving a hard-hit pitch towards the deep infield; despite the Crusaders' second baseman routinely gathering the tough play, the throw proved not in time as Turner dove head-first to the bag, securing the left fielder hero status as Nicholls (7-6, 0-0 Southland) ousted visiting Valparaiso (1-10, 0-0 MVC) via a walkoff single Tuesday evening at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.

A relatively even performance from both pitching staffs kept each offense off the bases throughout the contest, as the Red & Gray initially took a 2-0 advantage behind solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the Crusaders knotted the game with two of their own in the sixth. Following a few threatening situations by the Colonels in the seventh and eighth, Turner completed the walkoff -- good for the team's third this season already -- behind his infield single.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- With the pair of wins, the Colonels improve to an above-.500 record for the first time this year while Valparaiso drops to a 1-10 mark.
-- On the mound, sophomore right-hander Nick Hill proved himself a valuable member of the Nicholls bullpen behind a well-crafted 5.0 innings in control, striking out a pair while surrendering just two runs on four hits. Junior transfer Cade Evans (1-1) scored his first win donning the Red & Gray, completing the final three frames with no runs scored on zero hits along with three strikeouts.
-- Offensively, seven different Colonels worked their way on base via hits while two -- Turner and fellow outfielder Xane Washington -- managed a multi-hit game. Turner actually earned two RBIs on the day -- sac fly in the fouth -- while freshman Brayden Jobert picked up the other on a fifth inning single through the right side.

UP NEXT
With the 13-game home opening stretch concluded, the Red & Gray turn their attention to the team's first league series of the season, taking a short trip east Friday, Mar. 6 through Sunday, Mar. 8 for a three-game set at New Orleans.

STAY SOCIAL
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