RUSTON, La. - After an impressive no-hit debut last weekend, freshman Jacob Mayers followed up with 11 strikeouts in five shutout innings Sunday against Louisiana Tech as the Colonels took the series finale, 8-0, at JC Love Field. 

Mayers (2-0) started his career with nine strikeouts in last Sunday's win over Lindenwood and upped his total to 20 in just 10 innings pitched. He gave up a single in the opening frame and put two runners on in the third on a single and a waik, but went on to strike out the side. 

Nicholls (4-4) outhit Louisiana Tech (4-3) for the second straight game, totaling 11 hits to just four for the Bulldogs. Wes Toups duplicated his Friday showing with another leadoff home run. Xane Washington, Austin Cain and Parker Coddou finished with two hits each. In the seventh with a 3-0 lead, Coddou sparked a three-run inning with a solo homer. 

Nico Saltaformaggio and Cade Evans each tossed two shutout innings and allowed a hit. Both also notched a strikeout to give the staff 11 for the game.

Following Toups' homer, Edgar Alvarez gave Nicholls a 2-0 edge with an RBI single in the fifth. The Colonels then added another run in the sixth thanks to a wild pitch.

Coddou started the seventh with a home run to right center. Garrett Felix and Cain followed with RBI singles for a 6-0 advantage.

In the ninth, the final two runs were scored on a Basiel Williams double and Cain singled in the last run. 

With the win, Nicholls climbed back to .500 in the early season. It was also the second victory in four games against Louisiana Tech for head coach Mike Silva, who was a pitching coach for the Bulldogs before coming to Nicholls. 

ON DECK
Nicholls will host Southeastern Baptist College for a two-game series, starting Tuesday, Feb. 28. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.