Yvette Michelle Crabtree Davis
April 7, 2008
Cecile D. St. Amant
April 9, 2008
After snapping a seven-game losing streak with a dramatic come-from-behind win on Saturday, the Colonels put on a horrendous base running exhibition, losing to Lamar 7-2 Sunday at Ray E. Didier Field.
“We teach our guys to be aggressive and they were just trying to make something happen,” said Nicholls assistant coach Seth Thibodeaux. “So, I’m not going to fault them for that.
Nicholls (6-24, 2-10 SLC) got their runs in the second inning. Brent Boudreaux laid down a bunt single, stole second, and reached third on a pass ball. Anthony Wray scored Boudreaux with a bunt single, and T.J. Menerey got Brett Hoefield home on a ground out.
From then on, Cardinals hitting and fifth-year senior pitcher Tim Erickson dominated.
Lamar (20-9, 10-2) scored three runs in the third. Nik Gumeson scored on an error by Zac Bone. Chris Dunkin and Jeff Vickers (3-for-5, RBI each) hit back-to-back singles to plate a run each, giving Lamar a 3-2 lead.
Boudreaux was ejected during the inning for dipping tobacco. Colonels head coach Chip Durham was also tossed because NCAA rules state the coach of a player caught using tobacco must also leave.
The Cardinals scored one in the fourth and David Moore hit a solo home run in the fifth to push the lead to 5-2.
NSU let opportunities get away throughout the contest. Walter Jones (2-for-4) was picked-off base in the first and third innings. In the fifth, Shane Barksdale was tagged out in a rundown and Bone was thrown out at home trying to score on a Jones double.
“Tim’s got the best [pickoff] move in America,” Lamar head coach Jim Gilligan. “And I’m not limiting that to college. [Yankees pitcher] Andy Pettitte’s got a pretty good move, but I like Tim’s better.”
“I’m probably going to take the blame for this one for letting Zac get thrown out at the plate,” said Thibodeaux. “It was totally my fault.”
With two outs in the eighth, NSU loaded the bases, but didn’t score after Jones hit a fly out to right field.
Lamar added two runs in the eighth to secure the win.
“With the bases loaded, our guys kept competing, competing, competing,” said Thibodeaux. ” We just couldn’t get that clutch hit.”
Erickson (4-0, 0.83 ERA) earned a complete game victory.
NSU starter Seth Webster (1-3) endured the loss allowing five runs on 11 hits, struck out two and walked one in 6.1 innings.
The Colonels played at Tulane last night, but results were not ready by deadline.
NSU’s Shane Barksdale (2) is caught in a rundown in the fifth inning. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
