THIBODAUX, La. – The Troy State baseball team dropped its third game of the season, falling to Nicholls State, 9-4, at Didier Field Sunday afternoon.

Senior transfer Marcus Bell started for Troy State and lasted five innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits. He finished with six strikeouts, including all three batters in the third inning. Sophomore Mal Winters pitched two innings and junior transfer Doug Atkins allowed four runs on one hit in his only inning of work.

Colonel starter Phillip Aragon earned his first victory as he worked six innings and allowed just two runs on five hits. Matt Overman worked the final three innings and got the save.

All nine offensive starters got a hit for Troy State (0-3), including senior catcher Lance Newman, who went 2-for-5, with two runs scored and eight putouts. He also threw out his first base runner of the season.

Troy State plated a run in the first when Newman scored on Drew Miller’s single to right field. Nicholls State (3-0) responded in the second when Monti Mitchell homered to left field and Jake Morrow doubled and scored on Jake Ritchie’s single. Ritchie eventually scored from third on a failed pickoff attempt of Brad James at first base.

The Colonels added two runs in the fifth and four in the eighth on six hits as the Trojans allowed more than five runs for the second time in the series.

Troy State mounted a brief ninth-inning rally when Casey O’Quinn walked and advanced to second on a single by Newman. Chad Howard’s double to right center scored both base runners before Drew Miller struck out to end the game.

The Trojans will continue their current road trip on Tuesday when they play at Alabama State at 1 p.m. at Paterson Field.