May 21, 2010
Box Score
LAKE CHARLES - The Nicholls State University baseball team (25-27, 15-18 Southland Conference) pounded out 16 hits and scored ten runs in the final four innings, including three in the top of the ninth. However, it wasn't enough to overcome a 19 hit attack from one of the Southland's top offenses as Nicholls fell 14-12 in game two of a three-game Southland Conference series on Friday night.
The Colonels' loss, coupled with the Texas-San Antonio's double header sweep of Central Arkansas, reduced Nicholls' lead over the Roadrunners for the eighth and final Southland Conference Tournament spot to 1.0 game. Nicholls will try to clinch their first Southland Tournament appearance in ten years when they lock horns with McNeese in the regular season finale for both schools on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. at Cowboy Diamond.
Nicholls can clinch their first postseason appearance since the 2000 Southland Tournament with a win or a UTSA loss. However, a Roadrunner win combined with a Nicholls loss would bring UTSA into a tie with the Colonels, and the Roadrunners (by virtue of a three-game sweep of Nicholls two weekends ago) would clinch the postseason berth.
McNeese got off to a fast start on Friday, scoring three in the first and two in the second to claim a 5-0 lead and chase Colonel starter Clint Dempster after 2.0 innings.
The Colonel offense tried to battle back as senior outfielder Adam Miley launched a solo homer in the top of the third and senior catcher Kevin Schlegel drove in a run on a double play ball in the fourth to make it 5-2. However, McNeese struck again as an RBI triple by Andy Riche made it 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
After a scoreless fifth, Nicholls began to put together some big innings against the McNeese pitching staff. The Colonels scored ten runs in the final four frames, beginning with a two-run sixth. Chase Jaramillo's RBI double and Schlegel's run scoring single brought the Colonels to within 6-4. However, a three-run homer by Lee Orr and a solo shot by Seth Granger put McNeese back up 10-4 in the bottom half of the sixth.
Nicholls rallied again in the seventh, sending eight men to the plate and scoring four runs. Miley accounted for two runs in the frame, doubling home Keith Kulbeth and scoring on a throwing error on the same play. An RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Jaramillo and Schlegel's run-scoring infield hit brought Nicholls back to within two at 10-8.
However, in what would be the theme on the night, McNeese answered in the Cowboys next trip to the plate. Matt Fontenot came home to score on a wild pitch and make it 11-8 after 7.0 full innings. Nicholls managed to get that run back in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Brady Bourque to make it 11-9, but McNeese sent eight men to the plate in the bottom of the eighth and plated three more runs to make it 14-9.
With their backs against the wall in the top of the ninth, Nicholls tried to mount one last comeback effort. A walk, a hit batsmen and a wild pitch put runners at second and third with one out, and Bear Comer and Keith Kulbeth delivered with consecutive RBI singles. After Miley was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Beau Faulk brought home Comer with a run-scoring single to make it 14-12.
However, that would be as close as the Colonels would get against Cowboy reliever Matt Click, who induced a game-ending double-play ball off the bat of Bourque with the bases loaded.
Nicholls will try to clinch the series win, and their first Southland Conference Tournament spot in ten years, on Sunday. Senior right hander Tyler Minto is scheduled to take the mound for Nicholls in the 2010 regular season finale.
Live stats will be available at www.mcneesesports.com, and a live streaming audio webcast will be available at www.ThibodauxOnline.com.
