Three-run walk-off home run sinks Nicholls baseball team in 9-6 loss at Southern Miss

Late-inning woes sunk the Nicholls baseball team once again.

Matthew Russo’s three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Southern Mississippi a 9-6 home win over Nicholls on Tuesday night in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The Golden Eagles went into the bottom of the ninth trailing 6-5.

Nicholls relief pitcher Nico Saltaformaggio entered the game in the seventh inning. He gave up a single and a walk in the seventh and retired the side in order in the eighth heading into the ninth inning.

Slade Wilks opened the ninth with a double down the left field line off of Saltaformaggio. After Davis Gillespie grounded out, Carson Paetow walked.

Nick Monistere produced a single up the middle, scoring pinch-runner Brady Faust to tie the game.

Russo blasted his home run to left field to sink the Colonels.

Nicholls dropped to 24-14 while Southern Miss moved to 23-14.

The Colonels struck early, coming up with three runs in the top of the second inning.

With two outs, Southern Mississippi starter Drew Druckenmiller walked Basiel Williams. Narvin Booker followed with a single past shortstop, putting runners on the corners.

Kaden Amundson delivered a double to right center field, driving in two runs, and advancing to third base on the throw. A Parker Coddou single scored Amundson to give Nicholls a 3-0 lead.

Following a single up the middle by Edgar Alvarez, both runners moved up on a wild pitch.

Chandler Best replaced Druckenmiller on the mound. He got Villarreal to hit a grounder up the middle. An errant throw to first base by USM shortstop Ozzie Pratt allowed Coddou to give Nicholls a 4-0 lead.

The Golden Eagles got one run back in the bottom of the second inning.

After Nicholls starter Dylan Farley walked Monistere and hit Tucker Stockman with a pitch with one out, he got Tucker Stockman to pop out to the catcher. Gabe Broadus followed with a single to left to make the score 4-1.

Haden Luke opened the bottom of the fourth inning on the mound in place of Farley.

Back-to-back singles by Monistere and Billy Butler started the inning before Stockman flied out. Luke tossed to second base for an attempted pickoff, but no one was covering the base the ball sailed into the outfield to advance the runners. A wild pitch allowed Monistere to score.

After Broadus walked, Luke was replaced by Chase Richter. Richter got Golden Eagles leadoff hitter Dalton McIntyre to hit into a double play, ending the inning with the Colonels holding a 4-2 lead.

Nicholls extended the lead to 6-2 in the fifth on a two-out run-scoring double by Drake Anderson and a bases-loaded walk issued to Booker by USM reliever J.B. Middleton.

The Golden Eagles pulled to within one run in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and two runners on base due to a single by Gillespie and an error, Monistere greeted new Nicholls pitcher Gavin Galy with a three-run home run, and all of a sudden, the Colonel lead narrowed to 6-5.

Saltaformaggio (3-4) took the loss. The last of six pitchers used by Nicholls, Saltaformaggio gave up four runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out two in 2 1/3 innings.

Niko Mazz (6-2), the last of four Southern Miss pitchers, picked up the win. He allowed one hit and struck out four in two innings.

Nicholls will be back in action when the Colonels begin a three-game Southland series at Houston Christian beginning on Friday.