SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — Caston Thompson homered and drove in three runs, and Haden Luke pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Nicholls State Colonels to a 6-2 victory over the Incarnate Word Cardinals in a Southland Conference baseball game Sunday at Roadrunner Field.

The win secured the weekend series for the Colonels (12-13, 2-1 Southland), who took two of three games from the Cardinals (12-11, 1-2). The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had simulated a 7-6 Incarnate Word victory, though its ELO system slightly favored Nicholls State.

The most important part of the game was the early dominance of Nicholls State starter Haden Luke and the immediate offensive support he received. Luke set the tone, allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings. He worked around traffic, stranding six Cardinals runners, including two in scoring position.

His lineup gave him a lead to protect in the first inning. After two quick outs, Thompson singled and Carter Jenkins was hit by a pitch. Designated hitter Nico RijoBerger followed with a single up the middle to score Thompson for a 1-0 lead.

Nicholls State extended its advantage in the fourth. Parker Mabry and Garrett Shafer hit back-to-back singles and a double, respectively, putting runners at second and third. Kade Terry’s groundout brought home Mabry, and Brayden Miller’s single scored Shafer to make it 3-0.

The Colonels broke the game open in the fifth against Incarnate Word reliever Chase Blease. With one on, Thompson launched a two-run homer to right-center field, pushing the lead to 5-0.

Luke and reliever Eli Waters kept the Cardinals off the board through eight innings. Incarnate Word managed only five hits and squandered several opportunities, going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position before the ninth.

Nicholls State added an insurance run in the seventh when Jenkins doubled and scored on RijoBerger’s second RBI single of the day.

The Cardinals avoided the shutout with a dramatic but ultimately insufficient rally in the ninth against Nicholls State closer Owen Schexnaydre. Pinch-runner Diego Martinez, running for John Enriquez who walked, scored along with Tyler Garritano when Garritano hit a two-out, two-run homer to deep left field. Schexnaydre then allowed a walk and a single but secured the final out on a fly ball to left field.

Thompson finished 3 for 5 with the home run, two RBIs and two runs scored for Nicholls State, which tallied 11 hits. RijoBerger had two hits and two RBIs. Garritano’s ninth-inning homer accounted for the only runs for Incarnate Word, which was held to five hits.

EJ Garcia took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing three runs on six hits over four innings. Rand Green and Blease followed in relief.

Nicholls State next hosts Northwestern State for a three-game conference series starting Friday. Incarnate Word travels to face Baylor in a non-conference game Tuesday before a Southland series at Lamar beginning Friday.