THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team was beaten 10-6 by McNeese on Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Colonels entered the final frame down 10-3 but their comeback fell short as they couldn't take advantage of a bases loaded situation. Jaden Collura blasted a leadoff home run to right field to begin the rally. After that Parker Coddou doubled down the first base line followed by an Edgar Alvarez walk to force a pitching change.
 
After the pitching change, Coddou and Alvarez advanced on a wild pitch. Coddou scored on the next play due to a fielding error that put Gerardo Villarreal on first. Garrett Felix drew a free pass to load the bases with zero outs. Basiel Williams reached on a fielder's choice to allow Alvarez to hustle home. MaCrae Kendrick drew his third walk of the game to bring Villarreal home before the game ended on a ground out.
 
In the second inning, the Cowboys scored on an Easton Dowell single and a Simon Larranaga double. Both teams scored in the third with Grant Mangrum hitting a run scoring single before Kendrick scored on a Coddou ground out. In the fourth, Elliot Hebert plated two for McNeese with a single to right field before the Colonels scored on a Drake Anderson sacrifice fly and a fielder's choice on Narvin Booker Jr.'s at bat to put Nicholls down 6-3.
 
McNeese extended its lead in the fifth with two run scoring singles and a double. After three scoreless frames, Peyton LeJune homered down the right field line to go up 10-3.
 
The Red & Gray had one of the best regular seasons in program history as they finished with more than 30 wins for the second consecutive season and the best winning percentage in SLC play since 2014.
 
ON DECK
The Red & Gray (34-20, 16-8 SLC) will be the No. 2 seed in the 2024 Southland Conference Tournament in Hammond on May 22-25.