MONROE, La. – A pitchers' duel through eight innings got away from ULM as Nicholls put up seven runs in the top of the ninth inning for an 8-0 win in the series opener Friday night at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
Starting pitchers Cam Barlow and Tyler Theriot were terrific for their respective teams. Theriot (2-2) earned the win for Nicholls, working into the seventh inning, giving up just three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Barlow (1-2) suffered a tough-luck loss for ULM, throwing a season-high 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
 
"He was phenomenal," ULM head coach Michael Federico said of Barlow. "He threw a lot of first pitch strikes. They were kind of active early in the count and he got some balls put in play and also ended up having six strikeouts, too, which is not necessarily his forte. What I was impressed with was he only walked one tonight. He was just in the zone and pitching quick."
 
Both pitchers cruised through six innings, with Barlow working around two runners on base with two outs in the third inning, and Theriot doing the same in the sixth inning to keep their respective shutouts intact.
 
"We tried to put a couple lefties in there because some of his numbers weren't as good against them because the changeup is his best pitch," Federico said of Theriot. "He was at the bottom of the zone and getting a couple called strikes in there. We did a good job taking a couple of them, but he was just pouring it in there so much. The changeup was elite and that kind of kept us off balance. We couldn't get the ball up enough to be able to get some swings off to where we could hit the ball harder with a little bit more contact."
 
Nicholls broke through in the seventh inning. Garrett Felix hit a leadoff double down the left-field line and scored on an RBI single by Jaden Collura to chase Barlow from the game. Nicholas Judice came in to record the next two outs to keep Nicholls' lead at 1-0.
 
ULM had its best threat of the night in the bottom of the seventh. Michelle Artzberger was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Jake Haggard walked to put two runners on base with nobody out, lifting Theriot from the game. Chase Gearing came out of the bullpen and allowed a one-out single to Cardell Thibodeaux on a sharp line drive to right field. ULM held Artzberger at third base on the play to load the bases with one out. However, Gearing retired pinch hitter Davis Meche on a strikeout and got Shawn Dalton Weatherbee to ground out to end the threat.
 
ULM put two runners on base again in the eighth inning, but Gearing recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
 
The game unraveled for ULM in the ninth inning. Austin Cain reached on an infield single to open the inning. Felix reached on an error, moving Cain to third. On Kaden Amundson's sacrifice bunt attempt, ULM pitcher Carson Orton fielded the ball on one hop at the mound, and looked to have Cain caught off of third base. However, Orton's throw to third missed the target and rolled away, allowing Cain to score and move Amundson and Felix to second and third base. After a walk to Basiel Williams loaded the bases, Nicholls picked up four singles and a walk to keep the line moving, putting up seven runs in the inning.
 
Kade Dupont hit two doubles for ULM as the Warhawks managed five hits for the second-straight game. Parker Coddou, Felix and Wes Toups led Nicholls with two hits each, while Toups had two RBIs, both in the ninth inning.
 
"We have to continue to keep figuring some things out," Federico said. "I'm hoping that guys will step up. We've got good players. We've got good coaches. Ultimately, we have to execute."
 
ULM and Nicholls resume the series at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lou St. Amant Field.