April 10, 2009

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - The Colonel baseball team evened its series with Central Arkansas Friday night, claiming a 6-4 victory over the Bears at Ray E. Didier Field.

"I'm very proud of our guys and the way we responded today after last night's loss. This team is capable of playing like this every night. We swung the bats, played defense well and went out and threw strikes."

Lefty Ryan Cooper (Sulphur, La./Sulphur), who made his fifth start of the season for Nicholls, went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. The freshman struck out three and issued just one walk, improving his record to 3-0.

After taking over in the seventh, junior Ross Larson threw 2.2 innings of one-hit relief and did not allow a run. The righthander fanned three of the nine batters he faced.

The Colonels (14-18, 7-10 SLC) put a run on the board in the first when Keith Kulbeth (Opelousas, La./Westminister Christian Academy), who drove a triple to right center, scored on a double to left by Scott Moseley (Enterprise, Miss./Meridian CC).

Central Arkansas (16-15, 8-9 SLC) answered with a run of their own with a sac fly in the second, but Nicholls fired right back, plating a run when Jason Dennis' (Mobile, Ala./Alabama Southern CC) sac fly to left brought in Josh Labiche (Reserve, La./Delgado CC) for a 2-1 Colonel lead.

"To me, this is the one game where we've put everything together and played really good baseball. This is a good sign for this club. If we can come together and play like we did tonight, I really like our chances through the rest of the year."

After Labiche led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to left center, Dennis and Steven Gauthe (Belle Rose, La./Copiah Lincoln CC) laid down a pair of bunts for basehits, bringing Labiche around for a 3-1 advantage.

Josh Swenson's (Applevalley, Minn./North Iowa Area CC) single to left brought in Gauthe, and Swenson came around when Moseley doubled down the line in left, putting the Colonels ahead 6-1 through four innings.

UCA cut the Colonel lead to two (6-4) with a three-run seventh, stringing together four-straight hits.

Dennis went 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring a run and driving in an RBI, while Murrill, Moseley and Labiche each recorded two hits on the night.

The squads will meet Saturday at 1 p.m. for the final game of the three-game series. Fans can follow the action by clicking the GameTracker link at www.GeauxColonels.com and can listen live at www.ThibodauxOnline.com.

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