Box Score and Play-by-Play

SAN MARCOS, Texas - The Nicholls State University baseball team (23-25, 12-16 Southland Conference) rallied from a 3-0 deficit but fell victim to a pair of three-run seventh inning by the top team in the Southladn Conference on Friday night as No. 25 Texas State (32-17, 21-7 Southland Conference) rallied for a 6-4 win in game one of a three-game Southland Conference series in San Marcos.

The Bobcats pulled out in front with a two run second inning.  A sacrifice fly and an RBI single put Texas State up 2-0 after two.

However, the Colonels finally broke through against the top pitcher in the Southland Conference in the top of the third inning.  Texas State's Carson Smith came into Friday night leading the league in ERA and strikeouts and tied for second in wins.

Nicholls was able to pounce on Smith for four runs in the top of the third inning , stringing together three hits and taking advantage of a walk and an error to plate four runs.  A two-run single by junior first baseman Blake Bergeron was the biggest blow, putting Nicholls up 4-2 after three and a half innings. 

Texas State got an RBI single in the home half of the fourth to make it 4-3, and both Smith and Nicholls starter Seth Webster settled in after that, keeping each other's lineups off the board in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

However, the Bobcats showed the form that has made them the top team in the conference and one of the top 25 in the nation, rallying for three runs in the seventh inning.  Texas State took advantage of three hits, a walk and a hit batsmen to take a 6-4 lead.

The Colonels threatened, putting two men on in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings, but each time the Bobcats escaped the jam to preserve the 6-4 win.  Nicholls will try to even the series at one game apiece on Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch scheduled in San Marcos, Texas.  Links to live stats and live streaming audio will be made available at www.geauxcolonels.com and at www.ThibodauxOnline.com.