Third loss of season to Green Wave knocks Nicholls Colonels out of Corvallis Regional

A third try and 2,500 miles was not enough to give the Nicholls Colonels an elusive 2024 win over the Tulane Green Wave.

After dropping a pair of competitive games to the Green Wave both in New Orleans and in Thibodaux during the regular season, the Colonels had one more shot at Tulane in an elimination game Saturday afternoon in the Corvallis Regional in Oregon.

A win was not in the cards as the Colonels were never able to figure out Tulane pitcher Luc Fladda.

The junior left-hander tossed a four-hit shutout through eight innings and never allowed a Nicholls hitter to advance past second base in helping to eliminate the Colonels 3-0.

The loss ended the Colonels’ season at 38-22. Tulane improved to 36-25 and remained alive in the tournament and will be back in action Sunday morning.

Tulane held a 2-0 lead since the fifth inning.

Trailing by two runs, Kaden Amundson had a leadoff hit to left field for Nicholls to open the eighth inning, bringing the top of the order to the plate against Tulane.

Parker Coddou hit a ball along the first base line. Tulane’s Brady Marget fielded the ball in front of first base, the ball appearing to be inches into foul territory and hit foot on the first base line. The Green Wave first baseman stepped on the bag and Amundson was caught in a rundown between first and second for a double play. Edgar Alvarez flied out to left field to end the inning.

Tulane added a run in the top of the ninth on a two-out single by Jackson Linn off Nicholls relief pitcher Nico Saltaformaggio to stretch the Green Wave lead to 3-0.

The Green Wave brought in Jacob Moore to pitch the bottom of the ninth.

Gerardo Villarreal grounded out to shortstop for the first out of the inning. After a Garrett Felix fly out, Basiel Williams sent a fly ball deep to right field. Ben Romano, who had just entered the game for defensive purposes, made a leaping catch against the wall, bring the Colonels’ season to an end.

Fladda improved to 5-3. Along with only four hits, he issued two walks, with one strikeout while tossing 103 pitches.

Moore picked up his sixth save of the year.

Nicholls starter Michael Quevedo (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season.

He gave the Colonels what they were looking for, going 7 1/3 innings to rest the bullpen but received little offensive support as Fladda continually kept Nicholls batters off balance. Quevedo allowed five hits, issued no walks, while striking out two in throwing 94 pitches.

Saltaformaggio pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits and one walk, while striking out one.

With no wind and the ball not carrying, unlike a day earlier, it was not an out-of-the-ballpark day.

Tulane came up with the game’s first run in the top of the second inning.

Gavin Schulz led off the inning with a single to left field. After Schulz stole second base, he advanced to third on a Lombari sacrifice bunt. Schulz scored on a Connor Rasmussen ground out, giving the Green Wave a 1-0 lead.

Tulane added to its lead with a run in the fifth inning.

Linn produced a one-out double to right center field. Matthias Haas followed with a single to nearly the same spot as Linn’s double, allowing Linn to score the second run of the game.

Other than the eighth inning, Nicholls runners managed to reach second base on three other occasions but couldn’t score.

In the second inning, Drake Anderson had a two-out walk and MaCrae Kendrick followed with an infield hit. Fladda got Norman Booker Jr. to fly out to second base to end the inning.

Amundson had a two-out double off the left field wall in the fifth inning but was stranded when Coddou grounded out.

Williams reached base on a bloop single in the seventh inning, the first time Nicholls had a leadoff runner on base in the game. After a fly out by Anderson, Kendrick hit into a fielder’s choice when Tulane shortstop Marcus Cline made a throw from his knees to force out Williams at second base. Booker grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Booker was active in the field, recording seven put outs in center field.