Colonels overpowered as Sam Houston secures twin bill sweep

THIBODAUX, La. — The Nicholls State University baseball program (20-33, 15-23 SLC) struggled to find any consistent rhythm both at the plate and on the mound against Sam Houston (25-22, 19-14 SLC) throughout Friday’s series-opening doubleheader with the Bearkats, initially faltering by an 11-4 margin in game one before dropping a 16-3 run-ruled decision to close out the evening at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.

With the back-to-back losses, the Red & Gray are officially eliminated from contention for the upcoming Southland Tournament, scheduled for Wednesday, May 26 through Saturday, May 29 in Hammond, La.

Interestingly, both contests saw the Colonels earn quick leads against SHSU — jumped out to a 2-1 advantage in the first inning of the opening bout and a 2-0 edge in the first frame of game two — before the Bearkats kicked their offense into gear, putting up a six-run inning early on during each matchup to lock down leads they would never surrender. Nicholls, meanwhile, struggled to keep pace with the Sam Houston bats, plating a combined three runs across both games following the Bearkats’ six-score surges.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
— With the pair of losses, the Colonels fall to 20-33 overall for the season along with a 15-23 mark in Southland competition; meanwhile, Sam Houston improves to 25-22 on the year with a 19-14 record in league play.
— On the mound, the Red & Gray required nine total pitchers across both contests, relying on the bullpen early as starters Chase Gearing (4-5) and Trever Kilcrease (2-9) took a seat early in the third frame. Notably, sophomore reliever Tyler Theriot impressed as the southpaw closed out the opening matchup, accounting for 6.2 innings of work with just three runs allowed on four hits. Meanwhile, over in game two, the Colonels’ cadre of arms was primarily highlighted by seniors Beau Balado and Peter Holland, who combined for 3.0 full frames on the bump with three runs given up on three hits while posting a total seven strikeouts.
— Offensively, sophomore transfer Austin Cain notched a solid effort behind two multi-hit games — two in each — along with three RBIs while senior Dillon Belle chipped in a pair of hits along with two RBIs of his own.

ON DECK
Following the tough series-opening doubleheader against the Bearkats, the Red & Gray aim to close out the 2021 season on a high note, hosting both graduation and Senior Day celebrations across a Saturday afternoon twin bill, first pitch slated for 2 p.m. at Didier Field.

STAY SOCIAL
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