Tulane trips up Cajuns

NEW ORLEANS — Alex Byo took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Tulane used a four-run third inning to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette 7-3 in college baseball action on Tuesday night at Turchin Stadium.

Jeremy Schaffer’s three-run double was the big hit in the third inning, putting the Green Wave up 4-0. Schaffer was one of Tulane’s hitting leaders, going 2-for-4. Brandon Boudreaux and Brennan Middleton also went 2-for-4 for Tulane (33-16).

Byo (7-4) picked up the win. The former Parkview Baptist star gave one hit, two runs and two walks while striking out seven in seven innings. Byo carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before relievers Alex Facundus and former Catholic High standout D.J. Ponder wrapped up the two-hit performance.

The loss was the third straight for ULL (21-26) while Tulane extended its win streak to four games.

ULL starter Henri Faucheux (0-1) took the loss after failing to retire a batter in the third inning.

Both Faucheux and Byo tossed scoreless innings through the first two innings and the contest got off to a quick start. The pair threw a combined 19 pitches in the opening inning.

Byo worked around a one-out walk in the second and Faucheux stranded two Tulane runners after a two-out double by Andrew Garner and Tucker Oakley walk.

The Cajuns were retired in order by Byo in the third inning, the first of three straight perfect innings tossed by Tulane’s righty.

Back-to-back singles and a walk opened the Green Wave half of the third inning. A bases-loaded walk to Nick Schneeberger forced home the game’s first run and Cord Cockrell was summoned to help Faucheux and the Cajuns escape trouble.

Cockrell got the Cajuns out of the inning, but not before a bases-clearing double Jeremy Schaffer stretched the Tulane lead to 4-0.

Nicholls State to visit JSU

THIBODAUX — After splitting its series at UTSA over the weekend, Nicholls State travels to face Jackson State at 6 p.m. Wednesday. It will be the second-to-last nonconference game of the year for Nicholls (13-7 in nonconference games this year, 10-1 in midweek games).

Jackson State (32-14, 22-3) leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference, while Nicholls (23-23, 10-16) is fighting for a spot in the Southland Conference tournament and faces Northwestern State (17-28, 12-15) in a three-game series this weekend.

Nicholls won the earlier meeting against Jackson State 6-0.