Box Score and Play-by-Play

THIBODAUX - Junior left hander Mike Wisecarver delivered a stellar 8.2 IP outing, holding to opposition scoreless through 8.0 IP to lead the Nicholls State University baseball team (12-15, 3-9 Southland Conference) to a 5-2 win over Texas-Arlington (15-12, 7-5 Southland Conference) at Ray E. Didier Field on Sunday, giving Nicholls its first conference series victory of the 2011 season.

Wisecarver delivered the best outing of his career on Sunday, holding the Mavericks to just two runs (one earned) on seven hits while walking three and tying his career high with six strikeouts over a career best 8.2 IP.

Wisecarver got some help from the Nicholls defense in the early going, escaping a pair of jams with a double play ball in each of the first two innigs, and seeing a third inning leadoff single by the Mavericks erased on a caught stealing.

From the fourth inning on, Wisecarver was nearly unhittable, retiring 13 consecutive batters from the final out of the third inning through the top of the seventh.  A leadoff double in the top of the eighth snapped the streak, and the Mavericks threatened by loading the bases in the eighth, but Wisecarver escaped the jam with a two-out bases loaded ground out to end the frame.

With Wisecarver dealing, the Nicholls lineup went looking to get their starter some support.  After UTA starter John Beck retired the first eight batters he faced and ten of the first 11 Colonel batters, Nicholls struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

After issuing a one-out walk to Nicholls junior designated hitter Jeremy Hill, Beck hit junior first baseman Blake Bergeron, and senior right fielder Scott Moseley loaded the bases with a base hit through the right side.  A deep fly ball off the bat of junior left fielder Michael LeGrange scored Hill on the sacrifice fly and moved Bergeron and Moseley up to second and third.  Freshman second baseman Philip Lyons then delivered a clutch two-out single up the middle to score Bergeron and Moseley and stake Nicholls to a 3-0 lead after four.

Nicholls added two more in the bottom of the seventh as Hill delivered an RBI groundout and senior center fielder Bear Comer scored on a wild pitch to give the Colonels some additional insurance, putting Nicholls up 5-0.

After Wisecarver escaped his eighth inning jam, the Kenner, La. native came out looking for his first complete game in the top of the ninth.  Wisecarver got a grounder to first from the leadoff batter for out number one, but the Mavericks had one last threat in them. 

Maverick catcher Chad Comer delivered a one-out single through the left side, but Wisecarver regrouped to coax a ground ball off the bat of Brian Nephew.  Unfortunately, the Colonels booted a potential game-ending double play ball to keep the inning alive.  The Mavericks responded with a line drive off the bat of Jesse Payne that struck Wisecarver in the foot and caromed toward the Nicholls dugout on the third base side to load the bases.

Wisecarver wanted to stay in the ballgame, but with a 5-0 lead, head coach Seth Thibodeaux chose not to tax Wisecarver any further and went to the bullpen with the bases loaded and one out.  Freshman lefty Dalton Torres came on and, after a two-run double down the line by Jordan Vaughn to cut the Nicholls lead to 5-2, Torres slammed the door on the Mavericks by striking out Daniel Jordan on three pitches and inducing a game-ending pop out off the bat of Phillip Incaviglia for his first career save.

The victory over the Mavericks comes on the heels of a Nicholls win over UTA on Saturday, giving Nicholls its first series victory of the conference season. 

Nicholls, winners of four of its last five, will now turn its attention to taking on in-state rival and SWAC power Southern at Acadian Ballpark in New Iberia, La.  First pitch against the Jaguars is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday night.  After facing Southern in New Iberia, the Colonels will return to Thibodaux to conclude a seven-game homestand, facing off against the University of New Orleans at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Ray E. Didier Field.