THIBODAUX, La. - Wes Toups hit his first career grand slam to give the Nicholls State University baseball team an early lead over Missouri, but the Tigers rallied with six runs in the latter innings to take the four-game series with a 7-4 victory Monday afternoon on Ben Meyer Diamond at Didier Field.
After Mizzou (3-1) scored in the first on a sacrifice fly, Toups smashed his first offering over the right center wall for a 4-1 Colonel lead.
Cade Evans and
Nick Heckman kept the Tigers off the board the next four innings, but Missouri scored one in the sixth before tying the game in the seventh. Despite having just one hit in the eighth, it was a big one as Luke Mann cleared the bases for a 3-run double to break the 4-4 tie.
Nicholls (1-3) put four runners on in the final two frames, but was unable to cut into the deficit as they dropped the series, 3-1.
The visitors outhit the Colonels, 8-7, and received strong efforts out of the bullpen by Kyle Brown and Austin Cheeley (1-0). The duo combined for 7.1 shutout innings as each allowed two hits.
Dane Simon accounted for three of the Colonels' seven hits.
Alec Paz and
Jaden Collura had singles while
Parker Coddou doubled in the sixth but was thrown out going for three.
Luke Barbier made the start for Nicholls but left after allowing three free passes -- two hit-by-pitches and a walk. Evans allowed a sacrifice fly but was able to escape with no further damage.
The Colonels had a similar start at the plate, filling the bags after a Simon single and two walks. Toups then gave Nicholls a 4-1 lead on the team's third homer of the series.
Mizzou's run in the sixth came courtesy of a Colonel error. In the seventh, a timely hit-and-run prevented a double play which allowed a run to come home. Then Carlos Peña crushed a run-scoring triple to the leftcenter wall to make the score 4-4.
The decisive eighth for the Tigers was set up by three Colonel walks. Mann's eventual game-winning hit came with two outs.
Nine Colonels pitched in the game.
Evan Keith (0-1) took the loss after allowing a leadoff walk in the eighth. Heckman saw the most action on the mound, tossing 3.1 innings with one unearned run on four hits.
UP NEXT
Nicholls continues its nine-game homestand to open the season with a Wednesday night matchup against Tulane. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
