March 6, 2010
THIBODAUX - Chase Jaramillo and Blake Bergeron homered to keep the Colonel lineup rolling, and Jarret Dunnam and Clint Dempster held the Jaguar lineup in check as the Nicholls State University baseball team (7-3) extended its winning streak to seven with a double header sweep of Southern (1-4) by scores of 7-6 and 11-6 on Saturday at Ray E. Didier Field in Thibodaux.
The Colonels will look to make it eight-in-a-row by completing a series sweep of the 2009 SWAC Champion and NCAA Regional qualifers in Baton Rouge at Lee Hines Field on Sunday.
Nicholls found itself down early in game one against the Jags as Southern plated four runs in the top of the second. Nicholls got on the board with one in the bottom half, but Southern answered by reclaiming a four-run lead with a run in the top of the third to make it 5-1.
The Colonels finally sparked their rally with a three-run fifth to pull to within one. Consecutive two-out singles by Bear Comer and Jaramillo put men on for Bergeron, who brought everyone home with his first home run of the season to cut Southern's lead to 5-4.
Nicholls pulled even in the sixth as an two-out RBI triple by Brady Bourque brought home pinch runner Mike Barba to make it a 5-5 ballgame. Southern reclaimed the lead as a pair of passed balls allowed Curtis Wilson to plate an unearned run and make it 6-5. However, the Colonels tied things up once again as Jaramillo came home on an RBI groundout by Adam Miley to make it 6-6 after seven.
The game, originally scheduled for seven innings went to extras, as Drew Erwin came on and retired all three batters he faced for a perfect eighth inning of relief to turn the Jags away. Finally, Kasey Culverson completed the comeback with a walk-off RBI triple to score Ray Eureste for a 7-6 win.
In the nightcap, Southern once again started fast as Dempster allowed a double and hit two batters to load the bases before David Nolting delivered an RBI single to stake the Jags to a 1-0 lead after one half inning.
However, the Colonels wasted little time staging their comeback this time. Adam Miley delivered an RBI triple, and Beau Faulk followed with an RBI double to make it 2-1 after one.
The Colonels added to their cushion with a four-run second. Eureste led things off with a walk and Culverson and Comer followed with bunt singles to load the bases. After a wild pitch plated Eureste, Jaramillo launched a three-run shot to make it 6-1 Colonels after two.
Staked to an early five-run lead, Dempster began cruising through the Jaguar lineup. The Thibodaux native went 7.0 IP, allowing just one earned run on four hits while walking three and striking out seven.
Nicholls added three more in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the seventh to pull away. The Jaguars tried to mount a comeback against the Colonel bullpen, plating three in the eighth and one more in the ninth, but it was too little too late as Nicholls claimed the 11-6 win.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series in Baton Rouge with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
