7-inning NSU lead not enough to hold off Northwestern State

Despite a seven-inning lead, the Colonels suffered a 4-3 loss to Northwestern State Sunday at Ray E. Didier Field.

Nicholls (6-34, 2-16 SLC) opened the door, allowing the Demons (21-17, 12-5) to sweep the weekend series.

“We should have won that ballgame 3-2,” said Colonels head coach Chip Durham. “We had two mistakes by two upperclassmen that were critical.”

On the flip side, Demons head coach J.P. Davis said, “We really showed a lot of heart today. We hit some adversity and our guys battled back. That’s a sign of a good club.”

The game was filled with questionable calls and flaring tempers.

The Colonels scored all three of its runs in the third inning. Brett Hoefield (2-for-4) singled to plate Walter Jones from third and gave Nicholls a 1-0 lead.

Later, Anthony Wray (2-for-4) doubled to right centerfield to score Hoefield and Brandt Boudreaux for a 3-0 Colonels’ lead.

The Demons got on the scoreboard in the fourth off a Chase Lyles (2-for-4) solo homerun over the leftfield wall.

The game got testy in the sixth. On a 3-2 pitch to Demons’ Mike Jaworski, Colonels starter Seth Webster threw a fast ball down and away that the umpire called a strike. Jaworski erupted at the umpire.

Demons’ coach Davis exploded out of the dugout to argue the call. Serious curses were dropped and both player and coach were ejected from the game.

“They’re setup basically on the chalk,” said Davis. “Jaworski’s 6 [feet], 5 [inches]. The pitchers’ back-hand a fastball that was below his shins. I mean, that’s just not a strike. That’s bad umpiring right there.”

But Durham had a different viewpoint. “The pitch has been there all day,” he said. “He (home plate umpire) didn’t change his [strike] zone.”

Jaworski will be suspended one game for his ejection in accordance with Southland Conference rules.

The Demons managed to score a run in the inning when Anthony Jones (1-for-2, 2 RBIs) singled to plate Jordan Nipp from second, cutting its deficit 3-2.

There was more drama in the eighth. After Nicholls’ pitcher Webster gave up two straight singles, he was pulled for reliever Ryan Harding. Harding walked the next two Demons batters to score Denney Choate and tie the game 3-3.

Harding was immediately yanked for Lance Guidroz. Next up, Anthony Jones hit a sacrifice fly to deep-center that allowed Nipp to tag home the winning run.

Nicholls tried to rally in the bottom of the inning. With Hoefield on first, Keith Kulbeth (2-for-4) laid down a bunt to move him to second, but Hoefield was tagged out on a questionable call by the infield umpire. Coach Durham argued to no avail.

“Their infielder is not that tall and there’s a mark around second base where his foot was,” Durham said. “Physics don’t allow him to stretch out that far, being that short, and keep his foot on the bag.”

Next up, Wray hit a line drive to Demons’ first baseman Brett Johnson, who in one motion, caught the ball and tagged out Kulbeth.

Demons pitcher Clayton Cooper (5-1) got the complete game win. He allowed three hits, five strikeouts and one walk.

Webster endured the loss, going 7.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, seven hits, three strikeouts and two walks.

The Colonels have lost 11 games in a row, the longest streak of the season.

The team travels to New Orleans tonight to play Loyola at 6:30 p.m.

Nicholls will host a weekend series against Stephen F. Austen beginning Friday night. Before Saturday’s game, the 1998 team, which won Nicholls’ only South-land Conference championship, will be honored with a ceremony. That game starts at 3 p.m.

Demons’ head coach J.P. Davis was furious after a pitch to Mike Jaworski. He argued the call with umpires and was ejected. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF