April 9, 2010
Box Score
THIBODAUX - Facing an early 1-0 deficit, the Colonels did all their scoring in the fifth, as a seven-run frame propelled the Nicholls State University baseball team (15-14, 6-7 Southland Conference) to a 7-4 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Northwestern State Demons (19-10, 7-5 Southland) at Ray E. Didier Field on Friday night.
The Colonels fell behind early on against in what started as a pitchers' duel between Nicholls' Jarret Dunnam and Northwestern State's Luke Irvine. Dunnam allowed a third inning solo homer to Demon left fielder Eric DeBlanc, but otherwise dominated Northwestern State.
The southpaw Saraland, Ala. native allowed just three runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out six over 6.2 IP. With the exception of DeBlanc's solo shot, Dunnam allowed just five base runners over the first 6.0 innings.
However, it took the Colonels some time to figure our Demon ace Luke Irvine. Nicholls managed just three base runners and two hits against Irvine in his first 4.0 frames.
Fortunately, Nicholls exploded in the fifth, sending ten men to the plate and bringing home seven. The Colonels tallied six hits and took advantage of three costly Demon errors. Adam Miley got things started by leading off with a base hit to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Blake Bergeron followed with an RBI double. Bear Comer's two-run double and Miley's two run single in his second at-bat of the inning were the biggest blows en route to a 7-1 lead.
Staked to a big lead, Dunnam shut the door on the Demons in the sixth before running into trouble in the seventh. The Demons strung together four hits to plate two runs in the seventh, chasing Dunnam from the game and making it 7-3. Northwestern State added one more in the eighth, but Brad Delatte came on and worked a three-up three-down ninth inning, preserving the 7-4 win and claiming his third save of the season.
Nicholls will look to clinch the series win on Saturday when they host the Demons for a 3 p.m. first pitch in the second game of this Southland Conference three-game set.
