Seven Run Ninth Fuels Colonel Comeback Win, Clinches Tournament Spot

May 22, 2010

LAKE CHARLES - Down 5-0 after six, the Nicholls State University baseball team (26-27, 15-18 Southland Conference) stormed back, scoring all ten of its runs in the last three innings, including seven in the top of the ninth, to claim a 10-7 win over McNeese State and clinch the Colonels first trip to the Southland Conference Tournament since 2000 on Saturday at Cowboy Diamond.

Nicholls was led offensively by Bear Comer, Keith Kulbeth and Chase Jaramillo, each of whom turned in three-hit days as part of a 13-hit attack. Meanwhile, Brad Delatte earned the win with 2.0 innings of solid relief, improving his record to 4-2, and Drew Erwin earned his second save of the season by delivering 0.2 scoreless IP of relief with the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth.

The Colonels found themselves in a pitchers' duel early on as Nicholls senior right hander Tyler Minto went 6.0 IP, limiting the Cowboys to four earned runs on ten hits and no walks while striking out three. Unfortunately, for the Colonels, McNeese starter Zach Butler was even more effective, holding Nicholls to two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out five over 6.2 IP.

The Cowboys struck first as Lee Orr launched a solo home run to make it 1-0 in favor of McNeese in the fourth. After a scoreless fifth, the hot-hitting Cowboys (owner of the fourth best team batting average in the Southland entering the week) struck again. This time, a three-run homer by Steven Irvine and an RBI single by Brynn Thompson put McNeese up 5-0.

Nicholls finally managed to break through against Butler in the seventh when the Colonels cut the Cowboy lead to 5-2 thanks to an RBI single by Chase Jaramillo and a sacrifice fly by Stephen Gauthe. Unfortunately, the Cowboys answered with a Jace Peterson RBI sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 heading into the eighth.

Senior outfielder Keith Kulbeth brought the Colonels back to within three when he led off the top of the eighth with a solo homer off of Cowboy reliever Ross Olson, and Colonel reliever Brad Delatte turned McNeese away in the eighth to keep it 6-3 heading into the ninth.

One day after scoring ten runs in the final four innings only to have their comeback bid fall short in a 14-12 loss, the Colonel offense completed its rally by exploding for seven runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead for good.

After Jaramillo lined out to second to lead off the inning, freshman catcher Cody Dufrene got the rally started with an pinch-hit single. After Gauthe walked, junior outfielder Bear Comer doubled home Dufrene and put runners at second and third.

With the score now 6-4 in favor of McNeese with the tying run at the plate in the form of Kulbeth. The Colonels' senior outfielder delivered with a sharp single to left to score Gauthe, but Comer was thrown out at the plate to bring Nicholls down to its final out.

Down 6-5, senior outfielder Adam Miley worked the count full. Down to his last strike, Miley was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second.

Beau Faulk followed, and, once again, the Colonels were down to their last strike as Faulk faced a 2-2 count. However, the Houston native came through in the clutch, launching Olson's 2-2 offering over the left field fence to put Nicholls up 8-6.

But, the Colonels weren't done yet. Freshman second baseman Ray Eureste drew a walk to chase Olson from the game. Blake Bergeron greeted McNeese reliever Phil Parcell by drawing a walk, and Jaramillo drove cleared the bases with a two-run double to make it 10-6.

In total, the Colonels sent 11 men to the plate in the top of the ninth, scoring seven thanks to five hits (two singles, two doubles and a three-run homer), three walks and a hit batsmen.

However, the Cowboys refused to go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Delatte came out for his third inning of relief, but started the ninth by giving up a pair of consecutive walks. Delatte was lifted in favor of Clint Dempster, who started on Friday night for Nicholls. The Thibodaux High School product did his job, striking out Jace Peterson, the only batter he faced before turning things over to Drew Erwin.

After coaxing a fly out off the bat of Steven Irvine, Erwin gave up an RBI single to Lee Orr. However, the Alvin, Texas native settled in and induced a game-ending groundout to shortstop to preserve the 10-7 win for his second save of the season.

With the victory, the Colonels clinched the eighth and final Southland Conference Tournament spot and eliminated the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners.

Nicholls will now prepare for its first postseason appearance since 2000, the last time the Colonels advanced to the Southland's postseason event. The 2010 double elimination tournament begins on Wednesday, May 26. The Colonels will enter the field as the No. 8 seed, but must wait to find out who will claim the No. 1 seed in the conference before they know their opponent for the first game of the tournament.

The tournament will be played at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Class AA affiliate of the Houston Astros. For more information, or to purchase tickets, fans can visit the Southland Conference's Tournament homepage at:

http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18400&KEY=&ATCLID=204772468&SPID=10822&SPSID=99664

NOTES:

With the win, the Colonels clinched the eighth and final seed to the 2010 Southland Conference Tournament. Nichols has not been to the league's postseason event since 2000.

With the win, the Colonels also clinched their first 15-win Southland Conference campaign since going 15-12 in Southland Conference play in 2000, the last time Nicholls advanced to the Southland's postseason.

Heading into Saturday's regular season finale, Nicholls had already clinched its first 20-win season since 2005, it's first ten-win Southland campaign since going 11-15 in 2002, and it's first 25-win season since 2003.

Senior outfielder Keith Kulbeth stretched his hitting streak to 12-games, tying Beau Faulk's season high by a Colonel this year. Kulbeth is hitting .360 (18-for-50) with 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 11 runs, 1 .396 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage.