April 24, 2010

Stats

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The Colonels scored four times in the top of the ninth to rally past the Bearkats for the win in a wild 15-12 victory for the Nicholls State University baseball team (19-19, 9-10 Southland Conference) on Saturday. The win over the Bearkats evened the three-game series with Sam Houston State (16-24, 9-11 Southland Conference) and put the Colonels back into a tie with the Bearkats for the eighth and final Southland Conference Tournament spot.

Nicholls had built an 11-2 lead after six and a half innings. However, Sam Houston State exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 11-10 before taking a 12-11 lead after a two-run eighth.

Fortunately, for Nicholls, the Colonels answered in a do-or-die top of the ninth. Bear Comer's RBI single tied things up and Keith Kulbeth's three-run homer (part of a two-hit, two-run, five-RBI day) put Nicholls out in front for good. Brent Bonvillian came on in relief for the Colonels in the bottom of the ninth and pitched around a leadoff walk for his first career save.

The Colonels had to play from behind early on after Sam Houston State scored a pair in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. However, Nicholls soon got to Bearkat starter Brent Powers by plating six runs over the next three innings.

The Colonels tied things up in the second on a two-run double by Keith Kulbeth. Nicholls plated three in the third thanks to RBI base hits by Brady Bourque and Kevin Schlegel and a bases loaded balk by Powers. An RBI single by Chase Jaramillo put Nicholls up 6-2 in the fourth and chased Powers from the game.

Nicholls starting left handed pitcher Clint Dempster settled in after allowing two runs in the first. Dempster kept SHSU off the board from the second through the sixth, and a four run top of the sixth put Nicholls up 11-2.

However, Dempster soon ran into trouble as the Bearkats greeted the Nicholls starter with five consecutive hits to start the bottom of the seventh. The Bearkats chased Dempster from the game, and SHSU got a walk and three more base hits against Colonel reliever Cullen Babin en route to an eight-run inning and reduce Nicholls lead to 11-10.

Brad Delatte came on in relief of Babin to record the final out of the seventh, but the Bearkats struck again in the eighth. Delatte allowed a two-run single to Tyler Feibrich as SHSU went up 12-11.

With their backs against the wall, Nicholls struck in the top of the ninth. Kevin Schlegel led off with a single, and Steven Gauthe followed by legging out a bunt single. Mike Barba, who came on to pinch-run for Schlegel, was running on the play and advanced to third. Comer followed with a game-tying single, and Kulbeth was next with his three-run homer.

With the win, Nicholls surpassed its 2009 overall win total and tied last year's Southland Conference win total with 15 overall regular season games remaining.

The Colonels will look for the series win when they face the Bearkats in the rubber match of the three-game series beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

NOTES: Eight different Colonels recorded multi-hit games. Gauthe went 3-for-5 with Comer, Kulbeth, Adam Miley, Blake Bergeron, Jaramillo, Bourque and Schlegel each had two hits in the Colonels' 18 hit attack.

Beau Faulk went 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. The Houston native has hit .545 (18-for-33) with six runs, and 11 RBI over the stretch.

The Colonels 18-hits are a new season-high, beating Nicholls' previous season-best hits total of 17 in a March 6 win over Southern.

With 15 regular season games (13 Southland Conference games) remaining the Colonels need the following:

1 more conference win to surpass their 2009 conference win total

1 more overall win for their first 20-win season since going 22-31 in 2005.

1 more conference win for their first 10-win Southland Conference season since going 11-15 in the Southland in 2002.

6 more overall wins for their first 25-win season since going 28-26 in 2003.

6 more conference wins for their first 15-win Southland Conference season since going 15-12 against Southland competition in 2000.

11 more overall wins for their first 30-win season since going 31-19 in 1993.

11 more conference wins for their first ever 20-win conference season.