Colonels Pick Up a Pair of Wins on Day Two of Big Boy Classic

Feb. 27, 2010

THIBODAUX - Brady Bourque had a pair of hits, Blake Bergeron drove in two runs and Jarret Dunnam threw 6.0 IP to lead the Nicholls State University baseball team (2-3) past Bryant by a score of 4-3 in the first game of the day. Then Keith Kulbeth had a pair of hits, including a homer, to lead a nine hit attack while Clint Dempster fanned ten of 14 batters struck out by Colonel pitching as Nicholls rolled to an 8-2 victory over Tennessee-Martin, giving Nicholls two wins in two tries on day two of the Big Boy Classic Presented by Hampton Inn.

The Colonels got things started with a 1 p.m. make up date of a Friday night rainout against Bryant. Nicholls jumped out to an early lead as Bourque drove in Adam Miley with an RBI single in the bottom of the second to give Nicholls a 1-0 lead. The Colonels extended their lead in the fifth as three hits and a costly Bulldog error led to a three run inning and gave Nicholls a 4-0 lead after five.

That appeared to be all that Dunnam needed as the Colonels' staff ace handcuffed Bryant through the first five innings. Dunnam allowed just one hit and no walks through the first 5.0 IP, however the Bulldogs finally got on the board in the sixth with an RBI double and a solo homer to make it 4-2.

Fortunately, for the Colonels, Brian Arceneaux and Brad Delatte were up to the task and shut down Bryant the rest of the way. The Bulldogs threatened with one unearned run in the top of the ninth, but Delatte coaxed a line out to right field with the tying run on first to pick up his first save of the year and put the 4-3 win on ice.

Nicholls would have to come from behind in the nightcap as the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks looked to extend their eight-game winning streak dating last to back season by jumping out to a 1-0 lead as Trey Karlen scored an unearned run on a passed ball in the top of the first.

However, Dempster would soon settle in for the Colonels. The Thibodaux native struck went 6.0 IP and allowe just two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out ten Skyhawk batters.

With Dempster keeping UTM in check, the Nicholls lineup went to work. The Colonels took the lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back as Kulbeth's solo homer with two outs ignited the Nicholls rally. Blake Bergeron followed and was hit-by-a-pitch, stole second, and scored on a fielding error off the bat of Adam Miley to make it 2-1 after one.

Nicholls added two more in the second to claim a 4-1 lead as two more Skyhawk errors led to two more Colonel runs.

After the Skyhawks scored once in the third to make it a 4-2 ballgame, the Colonels broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth. Nicholls sent eight men to the plate and strung together five consecutive hits, including a two-run triple by Tristan Rogers to plate four runs in the inning and make it 8-2.

That would be all the Colonel pitching staff would need. Ryan Cooper and Drew Erwin picked up where Dempster left off as the trio of Nicholls hurlers combined to punchout 14 Skyhawk batters en route to the 8-2 win.

With the victory, the Colonels improve to 2-3 on the year. A win over Houston Baptist in Sunday's 2 p.m. finale would give the Colonels a sweep of their weekend tournament and put Nicholls back at .500.