THIBODAUX, La. -- After an extra inning thriller in the series opener, the Nicholls State University baseball team picked up its first two victories as the swept UT-Martin in a double header on Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
GAME ONE: Nicholls 9, UTM 8
 
After falling behind 8-6 after seven full frames, Nicholls scored three runs on four walks and two hits in the eighth inning. Jaxon Milam worked a leadoff walk before scoring on a Keegan Giger double to left center field. Following a pitching change Casey Artigues plated Giger with his own double to left field. Greyson Shafer and Caston Thompson were hit by consecutive pitches to load the bases. Matt Melancon earned a four-pitch free pass to bring Artigues home and put the Colonels up 9-8.
 
Relief pitcher Joseph Bordelon put the game on ice by retiring the side with three strikeouts in efficient fashion. Bordelon picked up his first victory of the season after allowing one hit and fanning six batters in 2.1 innings of work.
 
The Colonels scored one run in each of the first three stanzas. In the opening frame, Giger hit a leadoff single before scoring on a Shafer sacrifice fly to put the Red & Gray up 1-0. UTM scored four runs on six hits in the top of second inning while Milam scored on a groundout to cut the deficit in half. In the next inning, Shafer reached on a fielding error by the Skyhawks' shortstop and later scored on a ground out to make the game 4-3, UTM.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth inning before the offenses came alive again in the fifth. In the top of the fifth, UTM scored on a single before the Colonels added three runs on three hits and one error in the home half of the frame. Shafer scored on a muffed throw at the plate before Milam plated Thompson and Melancon with a base knock to right field. Following a scoreless sixth stanza, UTM retook the lead by scoring three runs on two hits in the seventh to go up 8-6.
 
The Red & Gray offense tallied 12 hits as Thompson led the way with four followed by Giger who had three and Melancon who had two. Karson Irvin, Artigues, and Milam had one apiece. The Colonels' pitching staff tallied 11 strikeouts. Starting pitcher Austin Vargas had three in 4.1 innings of action while Tyler Avery added two in two full frames of work.
 
GAME TWO: Nicholls 13, UTM 5
 
Nicholls carried their momentum from the first game of the day into the second. The tone was set by starting pitcher Dawson Richard who allowed one earned run and recorded nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.
 
The offense followed Richard's lead as they scored in four of the first five innings of the game. Following a leadoff walk in the second by Melancon, Carter Jenkins doubled to left field and Logan Mock loaded the bases by reaching on a fielder's choice. On the next play, Melancon scored on a fielder's choice before Jenkins scored on a sacrifice bunt by Irvin.
 
After a quick inning from Richard, the Colonels extended their lead as they score three runs on five hits in the home half of the third inning. Shafer blasted his first home run of the season to center field. A few plays later Mock plated Thompson and Jenkins with a base hit to right field to put the Colonels up 5-1.
 
Both teams scored one run apiece in the fourth inning. UTM scored on a leadoff home run to left field. In the home half, Irvin took advantage of Skyhawk errors on consecutive plays to get into scoring position so Giger could bring him home on a sacrifice fly.
 
Richard put up another scoreless frame in the top of the fifth before Thompson blasted his third long ball of the season to put the Red & Gray up 7-2. The Colonels added two runs on three hits in the sixth stanza. Shafer plated Irvin via a sacrifice fly before Thompson sent Artigues home with a double to right center field.
 
The Colonels were up 9-2 following a scoreless seventh frame that featured a quick 1-2-3 top half from relief pitcher Owen Schexnaydre. In the ensuing inning, the Skyhawks scored two runs on three hits to make the game 9-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
 
The Colonels responded in the home half of the eighth by adding four runs on four hits. Artigues and Shafer got the offense started with consecutive singles before Thompson loaded the bases by reaching safely on a fielder's choice. Artigues scored on the next play via a ground out before Jenkins cleared the bases with a two-run single to right field. Jenkins later scored on a bases loaded walk to put the Colonels up 13-4.
 
Nicholls had 15 hits, and seven players record a hit as Artigues, Jenkins and Thompson led the way with three apiece. Shafer and Mock added two while Irvin, and Melancon finished with one each. For the pitching staff, Schexnaydre went 1.1 innings while Cole Poirrier and Dalton Hill went one full frame apiece.
 
UP NEXT
The series finale between the Colonels and Skyhawks will be on Sunday, Feb. 22. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.