HAMMOND, La. – Nicholls defeated the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team, 8-7, in 11 innings Friday in Southland Conference action at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, upending the Lions in a game that witnessed six lead changes.
 
Southeastern (19-11, 3-4 SLC) fell behind early as the Colonels (21-11, 4-3 SLC) cleared the bases with a two-out double in the first inning.
 
The Lions rallied for three runs of their own in the third.
 
Hammond native Dane Watts drew a leadoff walk, scoring on Justin Williams' massive one-out home run to left-center. It was the first of two in the game for Williams. Immediately following the homer, TJ Salvaggio drew a walk. Following a Shea Thomas single and walk to Jake Killingsworth, Salvaggio scored on Peyton Woods' fielder's choice grounder.
 
SLU took the lead, 4-3, in the fifth on William's second homer of the game. The solo shot was his team-leading seventh of the season.
 
A leadoff walk in the sixth led a Nicholls run, tying the game.
 
Jake Haze gave the Lions the lead once again in the seventh, 5-4, leading off the inning with a home run to right. It was the second of the season for the preseason All-Conference selection.
 
Once again, the Colonels answered by taking a 6-5 lead in the eighth on a pinch-hit home run off the left-field foul pole.
 
Southeastern tied the game in the ninth.
 
Haze drew a one-out walk. Pinch-runner Cole Stromboe advanced to second on Salvaggio's two-out, infield single and then scored on Thomas' single through the left side to tie the game.
 
The teams traded runs in the 10^th. After an HBP and a walk to open up the inning, the Lions tied it on a two-out single up the middle by Jeremy Rader.
 
Nicholls scored again in the 11^th, putting together a two-out rally to regain the lead. SLU kept the game alive in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, infield single by Parker Coley, but that was all the Lions could muster.
 
Devin Desandro (3-2) earned the win, allowing one run in two innings of relief work. Lakin Polk (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing two runs in 2.2 innings of work.
 
Williams (2-for-6) and Thomas (2-for-6) turned in multi-hit performances at the plate for Southeastern.
 
UP NEXT
The series continues Saturday at 6 p.m. with a pitching matchup that features redshirt junior right-hander RHP Dakota Lee (0-2, 7.06) for SLU and junior left-hander Jack Nelson (1-1, 7.31) for the Colonels.
 
Saturday's game will feature Baseball Bingo while Sunday's series finale is Military Appreciation Day. Free general admission tickets are available Sunday for active military members by presenting a valid service ID at the gate.
 
The games are slated for coverage on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the game broadcast in the Hammond area on 90.9 The Lion. In addition, an audio stream is available online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive and via the Lions Gameday Experience, TuneIn and MyTuner Radio apps. Both the TuneIn and MyTuner apps are compatible with the Apple CarPlay software available in most late-model automobiles. Search for KSLU 90.9 FM in the TuneIn app.
 
TICKET & PARKING INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are now on sale. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to minimize ticket lines on game days. Southeastern students are encouraged to contact the ticket office before the game to reserve theirs in advance.
 
General admission tickets for most games are $11 for adults and $8 for youth (ages 3-12). Southeastern students, with a university ID, and children under age 2 are admitted for 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 before 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 the 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.
 
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 by visiting www.LionUp.com.
  
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Southeastern Baseball social media accounts (@LionUpBaseball) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay engaged with the program.
 
The latest updates are also available at www.LionSports.net and the Lions Gameday Experience app. Available for both Android and iOS devices, the Gameday app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.