THIBODAUX, La. - Trailing by two runs in the ninth inning, the Nicholls State University baseball team rallied for three runs to even the series against Memphis with a 9-8 walk-off victory Saturday night on Ben Meyer Diamond at Didier Field.
Nicholls (7-5) used a leadoff single by pinch hitter
Kaden Amundson to start the rally before the Colonels drew two back-to-back walks with full counts.
Xane Washington followed with a rocket down the third base line for a single and two runs, tying the game at 8-all. Memphis (8-3) intentionally walked
Edgar Alvarez to load the bases and then on a 1-1 pitch,
Jaden Collura was plunked for a walk-off hit-by-pitch.
The Colonel victory snapped a five-game winning streak for the Tigers and Nicholls will now have the chance to win the series against Memphis in back-to-back seasons. Sunday's finale is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Despite jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame, Nicholls had to play from behind most of the game. Memphis took control with two home runs in third inning off of
Devin Desandro. The first was a rare dead center shot over the wall by Logan Kohler and Jonah Sutton followed with a 3-run homer to left center. Desandro struggled with his control in his 2.1 innings of work, walking three while being charged with four wild pitches.
After Memphis plated two more in the fifth, Nicholls started chipping away at the deficit. Alvarez doubled in a run in the bottom half and in the sixth,
Kade Turnage beat out an infield single to short.
Hunter LeBlanc, who was 3 for 4 at the plate, never stopped running on the play and scored from second base.
The teams traded runs in the seventh and eighth to set up the dramatic ninth.
Arturo Rodriguez picked up the win in 2.2 innings of relief. The San Diego native provided a spark in the top of the ninth as he struck out the side in order.
Nicholls finished the game with 10 hits, led by LeBlanc with three and Washington added two. LeBlanc capped the three-run opening inning with an RBI double.
Austin Cain also had an RBI single in the first frame.
Kohler led Memphis with a 3-for-3 night. The Tigers tagged Nicholls for 12 hits in the loss.
