HAMMOND, La. – Nicholls rallied for five runs in the ninth inning Friday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field on its way to a, 6-4, win over the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team in the Southland Conference opener for both schools.
Southeastern (8-14) wiped out an early 1-0 deficit to the Colonels (11-9) with four runs in the third.
Bryce Grizzaffi was hit by a one-out pitch before Nicholls starting pitcher Tyler Theriot walked Rhett Rosevear. Evan Keller followed with an infield single to load the bases. Tyler Finke singled to center field to tie the game, 1-1, and Preston Faulkner cleared the bases with a double off the base of the center-field wall.
Lion pitchers Will Kinzeler and Andrew Landry combined to make the 4-1 lead hold up through eight.
In the ninth, Landry issued a leadoff walk before surrendering a one-out single and another walk to load the bases. An RBI fielder’s choice greeted reliever Gage Trahan. After a hit batter once again loaded the bases, a walk forced in another run.
Pinch-hitter Hunter LeBlanc then doubled into the left-center field gap, driving in all three runners for the lead.
In the bottom of the inning, pinch-hitter Champ Artigues led off with a single through the left side. After Grizzaffi was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, both runners were sacrificed into scoring position. Keller followed with a soft line drive. The ball was hauled in by the shortstop who doubled Grizzaffi off the bag to end the game.
Colonel reliever Brandon Andrews (1-0) earned the win, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out a pair of batters. Cade Evans picked up his fourth save of the season, final three outs in the ninth. Trahan (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs in 0.2 innings pitched.
The Lions have lost five consecutive games, their longest single-season skid since losing five straight, March 19-26, 2017.
UP NEXT
The series continues with games Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Both of the remaining games in the series will air on ESPN+.
Senior right-hander Hunter O’Toole (1-2, 5.88) draws the Lions’ starting assignment Saturday opposite Nicholls senior right-hander Chase Gearing (2-1, 3.48).
Fans in the Hammond area can listen on the flagship station of the Southeastern Sports Radio Network – KSLU 90.9 FM – in addition to online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via both the Lions Gameday Experience, Mixlr and MyTuner Radio apps. The MyTuner app is compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most late model automobiles. Fans should search for SLU Athletics (Mixlr) or Southeastern Sports Radio Network (MyTuner).
Southeastern’s annual Baseball Alumni Day will be held in conjunction with Sunday’s game. A pregame reunion for all baseball alumni and staff will be held before the game at 11:30 a.m. and there will be on-field recognition prior to the first pitch. Baseball alums interested in attending should RSVP with Allie Crain in the LAA office at allie.crain@southeastern.edu.
TICKET & PARKING INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are on sale for the remainder of the regular season. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to minimize ticket lines on game days. Southeastern students are encouraged to contact the ticket office prior to the game to reserve theirs in advance.
General admission tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for youth (ages 3-12). Southeastern students, with a university ID, and children under age 2 are admitted free. Gameday parking is $5 per day for standard vehicles and $25 for RVs.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour prior to the scheduled first pitch.
Southeastern uses mobile ticketing as the primary method for distributing tickets purchased online. Tickets will be available via text message or email in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors safety precautions required for entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play or by following the link www.LionSports.net/App.
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter, @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
LINE SCORE
Nicholls 6, Southeastern 4 (Mar 25, 2022 at Hammond, La.)
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Nicholls ………… 100 000 005 – 6 9 0 (11-9, 1-0 SLC)
Southeastern ….. 004 000 000 – 4 8 1 (8-14, 0-1 SLC)
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Pitchers: Nicholls – Theriot, Tyler; Andrews, Brandon (7); Saltaformaggio, Nico (9); Evans, Cade (9) and Collura, Jaden; Trahan, Austin. Southeastern – Kinzeler, Will; Landry, Andrew (7); Trahan, Gage (9) and Grizzaffi, Bryce.
Win-Andrews, Brandon (1-0) Save-Evans, Cade (4) Loss-Trahan, Gage (1-1) T-3:06 A-1224
Weather: 72 Sunny & Clear, NW 10 mph
Saltaformaggio faced 2 batters in the 9th.
{Courtesy: Southeastern Athletics}
