THIBODAUX, La. - Edgar Alvarez delivered an RBI double in the 12th inning as the Nicholls State University baseball team evened its Southland Conference series with an 8-6 victory at McNeese on Saturday afternoon at Joe Miller Ballpark. 

Alvarez had an impressive day at the plate, finishing with three doubles, two walks and two runs scored. His third double drove in Xane Washington who led the final inning off with a hit-by-pitch. Gerardo Villarreal added a pinch-hit RBI single for a two-run lead.

Nico Saltaformaggio allowed a one-out single in the bottom half but nothing else as the Colonels escaped with a win.

Saltaformaggio picked up the win and was clutch in the 11th inning. He took over on the mound with two on and one out and ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts.

Although the Colonels were outhit 18-14 by McNeese, Nicholls (14-11, 1-1 SLC) was able to take advantage of 11 walks issued by the Cowboy pitching staff. The Colonels received three free passes in the third, which resulted in a five-run frame. 

Nicholls went up 2-0 in the inning as Alvarez doubled and an error allowed him and Washington to score. Jaden Collura added a run on a sacrifice fly before Hunter LeBlanc came through with a two-out 2-run single. 

The Cowboys cut into the deficit on a 2-run double by Braden Duhon in the fourth. Devin Dasandro left the game after the inning, finishing with five hits allowed and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. 

Both teams had an RBI double in the fifth to make it 6-3. Parker Coddou accounted for the Colonels' double and then had an assist to the plate to prevent the Cowboys from scoring two runs on theirs. 

Josh Leslie brought McNeese to within a run with a 2-run homer off of Chase Gearing in the seventh. Then in the eighth with Cade Evans pitching, the Cowboys tied it with a run-scoring single. Evans totaled 4.0 innings out of the bullpen, scattering seven hits while striking out two. 

Neither squad could break the tie, going scoreless in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings. But in the 12th, Alvarez and Villarreal led the Colonels to victory in their first extra-inning game of 2023. 

LeBlanc joined Alvarez with three hits, while Coddou had two doubles and Austin Cain added two singles. 

ON DECK
The Colonels will go for the series win on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.