NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — Tulane used a dominant pitching performance and a key two-run single from Trent Liolios to defeat Nicholls State 6-2 in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday night at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

The Green Wave (15-15) evened their season record by avenging a 6-5 loss at Nicholls State on March 3. The Colonels fell to 13-16.

The most important part of the game was Tulane’s immediate response after Nicholls State tied the game in the top of the fifth inning. The Colonels, held to just three hits all night, capitalized on a fielding error by Tulane shortstop KaiKea Harrison and a two-run single by Milam to erase a 3-2 deficit. The momentum was short-lived.

In the bottom of the seventh, Tulane reclaimed control. Brady Chun led off with a double and Harrison followed with a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position and an intentional walk loaded the bases, Liolios delivered the decisive blow. He lined a two-run single to right field, scoring Chun and Harrison to extend Tulane’s lead to 6-4, providing crucial insurance runs that the Colonels could not answer.

Tulane’s victory was anchored by a stellar collective effort from its pitching staff, which combined to strike out 15 batters. Starter LuisPablo Navarro set the tone, throwing three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Relievers Thomas Vincent and Beau Sampson followed with five combined innings of one-hit, one-run ball, with Sampson striking out four over the final two frames.

Nicholls State’s offense was stifled throughout. After Milam’s two-run single in the fifth, the Colonels managed only one baserunner, a two-out walk in the ninth, over the final four innings against Vincent and Sampson.

Tulane built its early lead with small ball and timely hitting. In the first, Harrison doubled, took third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Liolios. The Green Wave added two more in the second. After Wood singled and stole second, he scored on a groundout by James Agabedis. Chun then walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Harrison. Agabedis added a solo home run to deep right field in the fourth inning.

Nicholls State starter Will Mabry took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. The Colonels used six pitchers, with Cole Simoneaux, Tyler Avery and Dalton Hill combining for 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Harrison led Tulane’s seven-hit attack, going 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Liolios drove in three runs.

The game’s outcome was closely aligned with pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a Tulane 5-3 victory, and its ELO system gave the Green Wave a 62% probability to win.

Tulane opens a three-game American Athletic Conference series at Wichita State on Thursday. Nicholls State begins a Southland Conference series at Houston Christian on Thursday.