Feb. 22, 2008

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - Kyle Suire knocked a solo shot over the right-center field wall in the top of the 10th inning Friday night to lift the ULM Warhawks to a 1-0 win over Nicholls in the opening game of the 2008 season at Ray E. Didier Field.

Derek Ward (1-0) got the win for the Warhawks after coming into a scoreless game in the bottom of the ninth. Dale Dickerson (0-1) took the loss for the Colonels.

"He (Suire) is their best hitter and that's what best hitters do," said head coach Chip Durham. "We made a mistake and he made us pay."

ULM starter Jared Jennings set a new career-high with 10 strike outs through eight innings of work.

Josh Swenson led the Colonels at the plate, going two-for-four, singling in the fourth and sixth. In the fourth, Swenson advanced to third on a Brandt Boudreaux sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, but was stranded.

"Our guys did a great job battling in extra innings," noted Durham. "We had a runner at third with less than two outs and if we had put the ball in play, maybe he scores and we win the ball game. But we can't look back on that."

Swenson was one of three Colonel players to reach scoring position in the game, as Brett Cook reached second in the seventh and Shane Barksdale did the same in the tenth.

"I'm proud of our guys," added Durham. "They came out and battled. We stayed with our game plan as best we could offensively facing their left-hander."

After Suire's extra-inning homerun, the Colonels attempted a rally. Barksdale walked and a batter later, Kulbeth was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out, but Ward struck out the last two Nicholls' batters of the night to seal the win for the Warhawks.

Suire was the only ULM batter with more than one hit, as he reached on an infield single in the eighth.

Nicholls starter Lance Dupuis got a no-decision after five innings of work. Dupuis struck out five batters and gave up four hits.

"We're going to face the same kind of pitcher tomorrow," Durham said, "so we've got to make some adjustments and the plate and do a better job."

The Warhawks and Colonels will play game two of a three-game series tomorrow at 3 p.m.

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