Box Score and Play-by-Play

SAN MARCOS, Texas - Facing a 4-1 deficit in the top of the ninth, the Colonels rallied for a pair of runs, but the Nicholls State University baseball team (23-26, 12-17 Southland Conference) stranded the tying run in scoring position as No. 25 Texas State (33-17, 22-7 Southland Conference) held on for a 4-3 win in game two of a three-game Southland Conference series in San Marcos, Texas on Saturday.

The game started as a pitchers' duel as Nicholls junior left handed starter Patrick Shreve and Texas State starter Michael Pitts combined to allow just one run each through the first 7.0 IP.  The Bobcats got on the board in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.  Nicholls answered in the top of the sixth as an RBI single by junior DH Beau Faulk scored senior right fielder Scott Moseley to tie things up at 1-1.

However, the Bobcats struck for three runs in the bottom of the eighth, stringing together four base hits and a sacrifice fly to take a 4-1 lead.

Down to their final turn at bat, Nicholls sparked a rally in a do-or-die ninth as the first three Colonel batters reached base safely.  Senior catcher Jason Dennis led off with a single up the middle, and senior second baseman Philip Lyons followed by getting hit by a pitch.  A walk to senior center fielder Bear Comer loaded the bases, and an RBI groundout by senior shortstop Chase Jaramillo and a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior left fielder Jeremy Hill scored a pair of runs and made it 4-3.

However, with two outs and Comer representing the tying run at second base, Texas State reliever Jeff McVanery coaxed a game-ending flyout to right field to preserve the 4-3 win for the Bobcats.

Nicholls will look to avoid a three-game sweep on Sunday.  First pitch between the Colonels and Bobcats is set for 1 p.m. in San Marcos.  Links to live stats and streaming audio play-by-play will be made available at www.geauxcolonels.com and www.ThibodauxOnline.com.