HOUSTON – Nicholls scored three times in the top of the 11
th and HBU answered with a pair of runs, but the Huskies came up short, 5-4, in the Southland Conference series opener Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
Senior shortstop
Tyler Depreta-Johnson went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and scored a run, while junior centerfielder
Jonathan Ducoff went 3-for-5 with a double, two stolen bases and scored twice for the Huskies (6-12, 0-1 SLC).
Junior righthander
Zach Carter took a no-decision, allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk in eight innings, while junior
JT Newton (1-2) took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks in two innings for HBU.
Chet Niehaus went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and scored twice for the Colonels, while Kyle Knauth doubled and scored.
Alex Ernestine also took a no-decision for Nicholls (6-12, 2-2), allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits with a strikeout and two walks in 7.1 innings. Austin Bollinger (1-2) picked up the win with a scoreless inning and Christian Bahlinger notched his first save, giving up two runs on four hits in the 11
th.
Ducoff singled with two outs in the second, stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Depreta-Johnson then singled to center to give HBU a 1-0 lead.
After seven shutout innings, Carter gave up a single Ethan Valdez in the eighth, then Niehaus hit a two-run home run to right to put Nicholls ahead.
HBU loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth and senior catcher
Jake Pulcheon laid down a squeeze bunt to tie the game, 2-2.
The Huskies loaded the bases with one out in the 10
th, but Pulcheon struck out and senior rightfielder
Matt Heck flied out to end the threat.
Niehaus singled to lead off the 11
th, then came home on Knauth's RBI double to rightcenter. Nicholls loaded the bases and HBU walked in a pair of runs as the Colonels took a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom of the 11
th, Ducoff led off with a double off the wall in left, then Depreta-Johnson blasted a two-run shot to left to cut Nicholls' lead to one. Senior first baseman
Carey Jones reached on an infield single, but pinch runner
Jeremy Simon was caught stealing. Junior outfielder
Anthony Jones doubled with two outs, but junior infielder
Derek Reilly flied out to right to end the game.
The series concludes with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The video broadcasts with
Russ Reneau begin at 10:50 a.m. with the pregame show and are available on HBUHuskies.com.
