THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University baseball team racked up 16 strikeouts in the series opener against Mississippi Valley State and had two big hits with the bases loaded, as the Colonels picked up an 11-1 run-rule victory in eight innings Friday night on Ben Meyer Diamond on Ray E. Didier Field.
Wes Toups delivered a 2-run double with the bags full to highlight a four-run first inning, then
Austin Cain cleared the bases in the eighth with a triple for the walk-off win.
Nico Saltaformaggio (1-1) accounted for 11 of the Colonels' strikeouts, earning the win scattering nine hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out the side in the third inning and had two in the fourth and fifth innings.
Mississippi Valley State (2-1) scored in the seventh thanks to a leadoff triple by Dreylin Holmes, then loaded the bases with one out. The Colonels went to the bullpen and
Gavin Galy delivered a three-pitch strikeout.
David Vial Jr. then took over and notched a strikeout to keep the Colonel lead at 7-1.
After Vial struck out the side in the eighth, Nicholls took advantage of two errors to extend its lead to 8-1. Following an
Edgar Alvarez single that loaded the bases, Cain ended the game with a triple to right field.
Toups led the offense with two hits, while
Parker Coddou homered for the second straight game. With the Colonels leading 4-0 in the third, Coddou sent a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall for a 2-run shot.
Narvin Booker had three hits for MVSU and stole two bases. Calvin McClendon suffered the loss with four earned runs on six hits in 4.0 innings.
UP NEXT
Game 2 of the series Saturday is scheduled for 3 p.m.
