THIBODAUX, La. -- Ignited by a two-out RBI single from Dillon Belle to force extras and capped by a walk-off base hit through the right-side out of Wes Toups, the Nicholls State University baseball program (21-34, 16-24 SLC) officially closed out the 2021 campaign in dramatic fashion with Sam Houston (26-23, 20-15 SLC) across both ends of a tightly-contested Saturday twin bill, initially falling short against the Bearkats by a 5-4 decision in game one before sealing a victory in the latter half of the doubleheader, coincidentally by the same margin, in an 11-inning barn burner at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.

The opening contest of the day proved a back-and-forth affair, as SHSU grabbed a 2-1 advantage through two frames before the Colonels rallied for a one-run edge of their own later in the third. The Bearkats, however, battled back down the final stretch of the seven-inning matchup, claiming a two-score lead behind a pair of home runs in the fifth that would prove insurmountable for the Red & Gray.

As the bottom half of the twin bill progressed, a similiar trend to the first game seemed to appear, as early jostling eventually resulted in a 3-3 tie following the sixth frame. Sam Houston broke the deadlock with a solo homer in the eighth, seemingly putting a cap on a potential series sweep, but an emotionally-charged two-out single for Belle deep into the ninth ensured additional play. For SHSU, the 11th frame proved a nightmare defensively, as back-to-back errors put runners at the corners with no outs, allowing Toups to find a gap for the walk-off victory.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- With the split, the Colonels conclude their season at 21-34 overall along with a 16-24 mark in Southland competition; meanwhile, Sam Houston moves to 26-23 on the year with a 20-15 record in league play.
-- On the mound, freshman starter Devin Desandro (3-4) absorbed the loss in the opening clash, surrendering four runs on three hits with two strikeouts across 4.1 innings of work. Out of the pen, both senior Peter Holland and junior Joe Taylor composed solid outings overall, combining for 2.2 frames with no runs given up on zero hits while setting down a joint five batters on strikes.
-- Over in game two, the Colonels opted for a cadre of arms across the season finale, allowing seniors Trever Kilcrease (1.0 IP), Beau Balado (0.2 IP) and Colin Kramer (0.1 IP) to see action one final time. Leading things off, sophomore Nick Heckman put together a solid 5.0 frames, striking out four while allowing just one run on six hits; meanwhile, late relief in the form of Taylor (1.2 IP) and sophomore Tyler Theriot (1.0) proved crucial to the eventual victory as the duo surrendered no runs on two hits while punching out four batters on strikes.
-- Offensively, multiple Colonels found their way to carve their mark on the final day of the 2021 season, yet none managed to match Belle in a magnificent Senior Day performance which included four total hits and three RBIs. Sophomore Austin Cain and junior Dane Simon added four hits apiece as well across the two contests while Toups wrapped up the day behind three total hits and a pair of RBIs.
 
ON DECK
With the Colonels eliminated from postseason contention, the Nicholls baseball program will progress towards offseason activities as preparations begin for the 2022 campaign.

STAY SOCIAL
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