April 19, 2008

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - Northwestern scored 24 runs through two games to sweep Nicholls 15-1, 9-4 Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader.

The Demons improve to 20-17 (11-5 SLC) on the year, while the Colonels drop to 6-33 (2-15 SLC).

Game One

Nicholls chipped away at a 6-0 Demon lead in the fifth inning as Brett Hoeflich scored on an infield groundout after leading off with a double.

But Northwestern put nine on the board in the top of the sixth to seal the win. With one out, nine consecutive Demon hitters reached base and scored.

"We definitely didn't come out ready to play in game one," said Colonel skipper Chip Durham. "We made errors that put runners in scoring position, gave up 16 hits and put nine on base with walks and hit batters. We didn't do anything well enough to win a game."

Jimmy Heard pitched a complete game, scattering five Colonel hits and one run through 7.0 innings of work. Heard fanned five and issued just one walk as he improves to 5-2 on the season.

For Nicholls, Jake Parrish falls to 1-3, lasting 5.1 innings and giving up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits. Parrish struck out five and walked three.

Northwestern's Justin O'Neal went 2-for-4 with four RBI in the game, including a bases-clearing double in the fourth.

Brandt Boudreaux was 2-for-3 for the Colonels, posting the only other extra-base hit of the game for Nicholls with a double in the sixth. T.J. Menerey was 1-for-1 at the plate, reaching on an infield single in the third and drawing a walk in the fifth.

Game Two

Boudreaux drove a ball over the left field fence in the top of the ninth as the Colonels attempted a late rally, but the 9-4 deficit was too much to overcome.

Heath Hennigan allowed just six hits through 7.0 innings as he picked up the win. Hennigan improves to 3-2, walking two and striking out five.

Colonel hurler Bryan Myers drops to 1-3 on the year after 8.1 innings on the mound. Myers allowed nine runs (five earned) on nine hits, fanning six and issuing just two base-on-balls.

"My hat goes off to Myers," Durham noted. "He threw a great game and gave us a chance to win the game, but we didn't come through for him offensively or defensively."

With the game knotted at two, the Demons scored four unearned runs in the fifth off of back-to-back homeruns by Anthony Jones and Chase Lyles.

"We made some line-up changes in the second game and I thought we competed well," added Durham. "Those four unearned runs in the fifth took away our chance to have the lead in that game."

Lyles was 3-for-5 in game two with three runs scored.

The first eight hitters in the Colonel line-up all posted one hit, and Hoeflich scored two of Nicholls' four runs.

The Demons and Colonels will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. for the final game of the series. Fans can follow the action live by clicking the GameTracker link at www.GeauxColonels.com. The game will be broadcast live in the Thibodaux area on KTIB 640 AM and on the internet at www.ThibodauxOnLine.com.

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