Box Score and Play-by-Play

NEW ORLEANS - In just his second career start, freshman left hander Dalton Torres delivered a stellar outing for the Nicholls State University baseball team (7-12), shutting out the Tulane Green Wave (17-4) through 6.1 innings.  However, a three run seventh chased Torres and a two-run eigth put the game out of reach as the Colonels fell to Tulane 5-1 at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium on Tuesday night.

Torres and Tulane left handed starter David Napoli went back and forth with each other in a pitchers duel for the first two-thirds of the game.  Torres gave up six hits and a walk in the first six innings, but pitched out of jams by inducing a trio of double play ground balls.  Meanwhile, Napoli retired 11 of the first 13 batters he faced.

The Colonels finally broke through in the top of the fifth as senior outfielder Scott Moseley drove a leadoff single up the middle before advancing to second on a groundout by junior right fielder Michael LeGrange, stealing third and coming home to score on an RBI single by sophomore catcher Cody Dufrene to stake the Colonels to a 1-0 lead.

However, after Torres turned away the Wave with a scoreless fifth and sixth, the freshman southpaw finally ran into trouble in the seventh.  After getting the first out of the seventh on a leadoff groundout, Torres allowed a walk and a pair of singles, the second of which was accompanied by a Nicholls throwing error to advance the runners and plate the first Tulane run of the game.  After another RBI single to make it 2-1 in favor of the Wave, the Colonels brought in junior right hander Michael Baxter who allowed an RBI single to make it 3-1 before inducing an inning-ending double play ball.

Tulane added two more in the eighth and a trio of Green Wave pitchers kept Nicholls off the board over the final 4.0 IP to give Tulane the 5-1 win.  The finish spoiled a stellar outing for Torres who went 6.1 IP and limited Tulane to two earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four.

Nicholls will now return to conference play with a three-game series at Stephen F. Austin beginning Friday afternoon.