HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Connor Cuff homered and drove in three runs as Southeastern Louisiana crushed Nicholls State 12-2 on Thursday night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, extending the Lions’ winning streak in the Southland series opener.

Cuff, a shortstop, went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run in the sixth inning that broke a 2-2 tie and sparked a decisive rally. The Lions (30-19, 30-19 Southland) banged out 13 hits and took advantage of four Nicholls State errors to pull away after the game had been deadlocked through four innings.

Nicholls State (21-24, 21-24 Southland) struck first. The Colonels pushed two runs across in the top of the first inning without the benefit of a hit, scoring on a walk, a fielder’s choice and a groundout. They added a run in the second when Jaxon Milam doubled down the left-field line to score Shafer, who had walked. That made it 2-0.

Southeastern Louisiana answered in the third. After Watts singled and Robichaux singled, Brody Capps singled to drive in Watts, and Peyton Woods doubled to bring home Robichaux, tying the game 2-2.

For the next three innings, both pitching staffs held the opposition at bay. Nicholls State starter Dawson Richard worked six innings, allowing four earned runs without allowing a hit through three frames but running into trouble in the sixth. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Woods singled and Cuff crushed his 13th home run of the season to right field, putting the Lions ahead 4-2.

The game turned decisively in the seventh. After Nicholls State reliever Hagen Lacy entered, the Lions sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs, though only one was earned. A fielding error by shortstop Milam allowed Capps to reach and Perry to score. Woods then drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. Wright singled in another run, and Watts reached on a fielder’s choice that became a three-run unearned play after a throwing error by left fielder Jenkins. A wild pitch added a ninth run for Southeastern Louisiana, and the Lions led 9-2 after seven.

Southeastern Louisiana added three more in the eighth. Williams singled in two runs and Cuff singled in another to cap the scoring at 12-2.

Cuff starred for Southeastern Louisiana, continuing a strong stretch. In his previous four games, he had gone 6 for 17 with three homers and four RBIs. Peyton Woods finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and was hit by a pitch. Brody Capps went 3 for 5 with an RBI. On the mound, Nik Toups started and allowed two earned runs on six hits over four innings. Truitt Webb threw two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts, and Logan Freche added two scoreless innings with one strikeout.

For Nicholls State, Nico RijoBerger went 3 for 4 with two doubles. Milam was 2 for 4 with an RBI. The Colonels managed nine hits but left seven runners on base. Richard took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season after allowing four earned runs on no hits through six innings, striking out three and walking one. Cole Poirrier worked two-thirds of a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

The game was the first of a three-game Southland series. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Southeastern Louisiana 7, Nicholls State 4. Interstat’s ELO system had given Southeastern Louisiana a 60.90 percent probability to win. The Lions improved to 30-19 while the Colonels dropped to 21-24. The teams meet again Friday and Saturday in Hammond.