Feb. 22, 2009

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - The Colonels collected 18 runs on 15 hits en route to their third-straight victory, an 18-3 win over Chicago State to sweep the opening series of the 2009 season.

Nicholls improves to 3-0 on the year, while the Cougars fall to 0-3.

"I'm very pleased with our guys," said Head Coach Chip Durham. "We came out and played well. Again, we swung the bat well and didn't make any errors. That's something I was really pleased with. We gave up more free passes than we would have liked with the six walks and two hit batters, but I was pleased overall."

Junior Jarret Dunnam (Saraland, Ala./Alabama Southern CC) got the win for the Colonels, scattering six hits through five innings of work. The lefty allowed one run, issued four walks and fanned six, as he improved to 1-0 on the season.

"Dunnam had a great outing," Durham added. "We would normally like for our starter to go six [innings], but his pitch count was getting up there, so he came out in the fifth and was able to pick up the win. Hopefully we can carry this momentum with us on the road for these next five games."

Chicago State got on the board first thanks to an RBI single by Matt Haug in the top of the first. But Nicholls answered with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning when juniors Chris Murrill (Mobile, Ala./Alabama Southern Cc) and Keith Kulbeth (Opelousas, La./Westminister Christian Academy), who led off the inning with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, came around to scored.

The Colonels added four more in the second as juniors Steven Gauthe (Belle Rose, La./Copiah Lincoln CC) and Drew Snider (Collinsville, Miss./Meridian CC)) drove extra-base hits to the gap in left.

After Nicholls padded the lead with three runs in the third and another in the fourth, the Cougars threatened to score in the fifth, loading the bases before Dunnam pulled the Colonels out of the jam.

The Colonels scored in each inning, adding two in the fifth and one in the sixth and seventh.

In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Jacob Knight (Thibodaux, La./E.D. White Catholic) knocked a bases-clearing triple to right center, picking up three RBI as Kulbeth, senior Josh Swenson (Applevalley, Minn./North Iowa Area CC) and redshirt freshman Beau Faulk (Houston, Texas/Strake Jesuit) all came around to score.

Kulbeth led Nicholls with a 2-for-5 day at the plate, scoring three runs. Junior Eric Douglas (Vicksburg, Miss./Hinds CC) went 2-for-4 with a team-leading four RBI, while Knight went 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scoreod.

Seniors Lance Guidroz (Lockport, La./Santa Fe CC) and Ryan Harding (Shawnee, Kan./Crowder College) along with junior Dale Dickerson (Calhoun, La./Southeast Missouri State) combined for four innings out of the Colonel bullpen, giving up four total hits and striking out six between them.

Nicholls takes to the road for a five-game SEC road swing. The Colonels will take on Alabama Tuesday and Wednesday before traveling to Starkville, Miss., to face Mississippi State next weekend.

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