Joey Morales
Zachary Carlton
6
Nicholls NICH 13-22
7
Winner UIW UIW 23-12
Nicholls NICH
13-22
6
Final
7
UIW UIW
23-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 R H E
Nicholls NICH 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 12 3
UIW UIW 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 21 3

W: Jackson, J. (1-1) L: White, Parker (0-1)

5
Winner Nicholls NICH 14-22
2
UIW UIW 23-13
Winner
Nicholls NICH
14-22
5
Final
2
UIW UIW
23-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Nicholls NICH 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 5 12 2
UIW UIW 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 9 3

W: Hatcher, Cayden (2-4) L: Taggart, L. (4-2) S: Bahlinger, Christian (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Hatcher’s strong outing forces rubber match with UIW Sunday

THIBODAUX, La. – After dropping the opener to UIW 7-6 in 15 innings, senior Cayden Hatcher pitched 8.1 solid innings to lift the Nicholls State University baseball team to a 5-2 win Saturday at Sullivan Field.
 
Game 1 Recap – UIW 7, Nicholls 6 (15 inn.)
 
The first game, which was continued from Friday due to rain, lasted 15 innings, ending with a walk-off, one-out single down the left-field line by Ryan Gonzalez.
 
The Colonels (14-22, 6-8 SLC) took advantage of two early Cardinal (23-13, 9-5 SLC) errors to score two runs in the first inning. After Ethan Valdez reached on an error, Joey Morales drove him home on a double to right field. Morales was later plated on a misplay by UIW first baseman Ryan Flores.
 
The Cardinals tallied the next two runs on a bases-loaded fielder's choice by Ryan Flores in the second and an RBI single in the fourth via Lee Thomas.
 
Morales tagged a double down the right-field line in the next frame as Nicholls regained the edge at 3-2. Brady Bell then struck a one-out RBI single up the middle in the sixth to increase the lead to 4-2.
 
Ernestine struck out Ridge Rogers to end the seventh but not before Kyle Bergeron scored after a throw from Kyle Knauth hit him as he tried to steal third and sputtered away.
 
Trailing 4-3, UIW put together a three-run eighth on two sacrifice flies and an RBI single to right-center by Tyler Pettit. Down to the final strike in the bottom of the ninth, senior outfielder Lee Clark stroked a triple to right-center field that scored Chet Niehaus and Valdez to tie the game at 6-6.
 
Facing the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with one out, junior Jake Bedevian entered the game and retired the next two batters via strikeout and groundout to send the contest into extras.
 
The Cardinals had the bases loaded in the 11th and 12th but failed to score the winning run. UIW left nine runners on base throughout the contest.
 
Jenner Jackson (1-1) picked up the win, allowing just two hits during 3.2 innings of work. Junior Parker White (0-1) was handed the loss as he allowed the walk-off hit. Clark and Morales each finished with two hits and two RBIs. Bell and Valdez also added two hits apiece.
 
Game 2 Recap – Nicholls 5, UIW 2
 
Hatcher improved to 2-4 on the year as held the Cardinals scoreless through eight innings. He allowed four of nine hits in the final inning. Graduate student Christian Bahlinger earned his second save of the season, closing out the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. Bahlinger got Mark Whitehead and Bergeron to fly out.
Bell was the offensive catalyst for the Colonels, notching an RBI single in the second and an RBI double in the ninth. Bell has recorded multiple hits in three straight games. Joining Bell with two hits were Morales, Dane Simon, Valdez and Xane Washington.
 
The Colonels return to action Sunday in the finale with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Get your season or single-game tickets now by calling 985-448-4790 or visiting nichollstickets.com. Please click here for more information on joining the 2018 Nicholls Baseball Coaches Committee. Visit geauxcolonels.com for the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter @Nicholls_BASE.