May 14, 2010
Box Score
THIBODAUX - The Nicholls State University baseball team (22-26, 11-17 Southland Conference) found itself in a pitchers' duel early on against the first place Texas State Bobcats (31-17, 21-7 Southland Conference) before Texas State pulled away for a 5-0 win on Friday night at Ray E. Dider Field.
Colonel starter Ryan Cooper faced the minimum through 5.1 IP and limited the Bobcats to just three earned runs on eight hits.
However, a pair of costly Nicholls errors led to two more Texas State runs and Bobcat hurler Carson Smith limited the Colonels to just four hits while walking one and striking out seven in a complete game effort.
Early on, Cooper, the Colonels' sophomore lefty dominated the Bobcats and matched Smith pitch-for-pitch. Texas State managed one base runner in the first as Brett Atwood reached on a one-out infield hit. However, Cooper soon settled in, erasing Atwood with an inning-ending double play ball and retiring the next ten batters he faced.
The Bobcats did not manage another runner until Jason Martinson reached on an error by Blake Bergeron and came home to score on an RBI triple by Kyle Kubitza. After an RBI double by Bobcat catcher Andrew Stumph made it 2-0, Cooper quickly regrouped by retiring the next five batters to keep the Colonels within two after 6.0.
However, Nicholls just could not break through against Smtih. The Bobcat sophomore escaped a couple of early jams thanks to double play balls. The Colonels put the ledoff man on in each of the first two innings, but a double play in each frame erased the Colonels' chances. Smith cruised from there.
After junior center fielder Bear Comer led off the game with a base hit up the middle, the Colonels would not manage another hit until senior left fielder Keith Kulbeth led off the bottom of the seventh with a bunt single up the third base line.
The Texas State lineup gave Smith some insurance in the top of the seventh as the Bobcats strung together three hits to plate two more runs. After turning the Bobcats away scoreless in the eighth, another Nicholls error led to another unearned run as Texas State claimed a 5-0 margin.
Nicholls will try to even the series on Saturday. Game two of the three-game Southland Conference series is set for 3:00 p.m. at Ray E. Didier Field.
NOTES:
Prior to the start of Friday night's game, the Colonels celebrated the 40th anniversary of their 1970 NCAA Division II National Runner Up Team. Twelve players and coaches from that team were on hand to celebrate a reunion of the only team in the history of Nicholls athletics to advance to the national championship.
Senior outfielder Keith Kulbeth went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to six games and push his career hits total to 196. Kulbeth needs just four more hits to reach 200 for his career and seven more RBI to reach 100 for his career.
The Colonels will continue their final 2010 homestand on Saturday when they host Alumni Day on Saturday. All former Colonel baseball alumni are encouraged to attend the game and join the Coaches Committee tent down the right field line and join the current team on the field for the national anthem.
The Colonels will conclude their final homestand of 2010 with Senior Day on Sunday. Nicholls will honor its eight upperclassmen prior to the final home game of the 2010 season.
