San Jose, Calif. - San Jose State gave up 18 hits in a 9-1 loss to Nicholls State on Sunday at Municipal Stadium.
Nicholls State starter Taylor Byrd held San Jose State to just five hits in a complete game. He gave up one earned run and improved to 4-1 with the win.
The Colonels put up three runs on three hits in the second inning against Spartan starter D.J. Slaton. They struck for four more runs in the sixth against Slaton, putting the Spartans in an 7-0 deficit.
Catcher Cody Dufrene had a hand in six scoring plays for Nicholls State. He finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Leo Vargas added a 4-for-5 performance, knocking in three RBI and scoring a run.
Slaton left the game after giving up 12 hits and seven earned runs in 6.0 innings. Kalei Contrades closed out the final three frames giving up two runs on six hits while striking out four.
Jacob Valdez's hit with one out in the seventh inning gave San Jose State their first base runner since the second inning. He came around to score the Spartans' lone run on a fielder's choice hit by Contrades.
With the loss, the Spartans drop the four-game set against the Colonels 3-1 and fall to 5-15 on the year.
"We learned this weekend that just because you get a big win on Friday doesn't mean things just go your way on Saturday and Sunday," said San Jose State head coach Dave Nakama. "We can't just show up and expect to win. We have to play well."
The Spartans have one more game on Wednesday against California before they begin Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play next weekend. San Jose State and Cal will face off at Municipal Stadium on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. Then Dallas Baptist comes into town for the opening WAC series on March 22-24.