KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Nicholls State University baseball team was beaten 5-1 and 12-2 by the University of Tennessee in a double header to wrap up the opening weekend series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
GAME ONE: Nicholls 1, Tennessee 5
After falling behind 1-0 in the opening inning, Nicholls pitchers
Austin Vargas and
Will Mabry combined to produced scoreless second and third frames. The Colonels tied the game at one when
Caston Thompson blasted a one out solo home run to left field in the top of the fourth inning.
However, following a single and a walk, the Volunteers retook the lead with a three-run home run by Blaine Brown. Following a scoreless fifth frame the Volunteers scored their final run on another home run by Brown. The Colonels offense went down in order in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings.
Overall, the Colonels had four hits as
Nico Rijo-Berger, Casey Artuges, and
Jaxon Milam reached base with singles. Thompson also reached base via a walk in the first frame. Five different pitchers saw action for the Colonels as Vargas and Mabry went 2.1 innings apiece. Mabry had two strikeouts and executed two pickoffs.
Dawson Richard (1.1 inn.) and
Owen Schexnaydre (1.0) faced four batters apiece while
Tyler Avery pitched the eighth stanza.
GAME TWO: Nicholls 2, Tennessee 12
After Nicholls was retired in order in the top of the first inning, Tennessee jumped out to a 4-0 lead on back-to-back solo home runs, a double and a wild pitch.
Hudson Mattox was left stranded in the second inning after he hit a one out single to left field. The Volunteers kept their momentum rolling as they added three runs on two hits and one error in the home half of the frame.
In the third, the Colonels picked up two hits by Rijo-Berger and
Keegan Giger but were unable to score. Relief pitcher
Eli Waters ended the second inning by forcing a groundout into a 6-4-3 double play. Waters followed that up by retiring the Volunteers in order in the following stanza.
Mattox reached on a lead off single in the fourth but was left stranded for a second time. The Red and Gray had multiple runners on base in the fifth as Rijo-Berger earned a walk followed by another Giger hit. Giger got out on the next play as Grayson Shafer reached via a fielder's choice. Next, the Volunteers added five runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
Following a scoreless sixth frame, pinch hitter
Matt Melancon had the Colonels sixth hit in the seventh before Giger kept his productive day going with a walk. The Colonels loaded the bases after Shafer singled to the right side of the infield. Next, Thompson kept his momentum rolling as he laced a two RBI single up the middle for the Colonels final hit of the game.
Overall, the Colonels had eight hits with Giger and Mattox claiming two apiece. Rijo Berger, Shafer, Thompson, and Melancon rounded out the Red & Gray offense. Seven pitchers saw action on the mound for the Colonels. Waters had the longest outing as he had two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.
Cole Simoneaux and
Caleb Dyess went 1.1 and 1.0 innings respectfully. Cannon Hearsling and
Joseph Bordelon accounted for two outs apiece while both
Shaydon Benson and
Haden Luke (0-1) claimed one out.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will return home and host South Alabama in its home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 17. First pitch from Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.
