LAKE CHARLES, La. – The longest game in Southland Conference Baseball Tournament history ended in a victory for the top-seed Nicholls State University baseball team as
Edgar Alvarez hit a walk-off single in the 14th inning for a 3-2 win over sixth-seed and host McNeese just after midnight at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Nicholls (31-22) will now take on Lamar at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. With Wednesday's win, the Colonels have had two record-long games in the Southland this season as the Colonels and Lamar battled it out for 19 innings in the second weekend of league play. Nicholls won the matchup, 9-8, and went on to win the series.
Against McNeese, Nicholls knotted the game at 2-2 in the sixth before the bullpens took over with seven consecutive shutout innings. But two walks by Derrick Cherry in the final inning set up Alvarez' game-winning single up the middle, scoring
Jaden Collura from second base.
Gavin Galy (2-0) earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 hitless innings with one strikeout. He came in with a runner on second and two down in the 13th and got a groundout to end the threat. The All-SLC pitcher then retired McNeese in order in the 14th.
Nicholls totaled 12 hits and had five players finish with two each --
Parker Coddou,
Xane Washington, Alvarez,
Gerardo Villarreal and
Wes Toups. Villarreal drove in the first run of the night on a double play in the opening inning.
McNeese tied the game in the fourth on Braley Hollins' RBI triple, then took the lead on Brad Burckel's sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 2-1. Colonel starter
Devin Desandro gave up both runs, lasting 5.0 innings with seven hits allowed and one strikeout.
Nicholls tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a dropped sacrifice fly off the bat of Toups, then the offenses simply struggled to convert baserunners into runs. The teams combined to go 2-for-26 with runners in scoring position on the night.
Nico Saltaformaggio and
Cade Evans also had outstanding showings out of the bullpen for the Red and Gray. Saltaformaggio scattered five hits in 5.1 innings and struck out three. Evans started his night by leaving runners on the corners after taking over with just one out in the 11th. He also finished with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings.
For McNeese, Cooper Hext went 3-for-6 as five Cowboys had multiple hits. Christian Vega had 10 strikeouts and allowed only three hits in 6.0 innings of scoreless relief.
