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After being swept out of two-straight Southland Conference weekend series, the Nicholls State University baseball team desperately needed some wins this weekend against Incarnate Word.
The Colonels got ‘em, albeit in dramatic fashion.
The Colonels took two of three from the Cardinals this weekend, winning game one, then dropping game two, which set the stage for a rubber match on Saturday afternoon in Thibodaux.
In that game, the Colonels fell behind big early, but battled back, overcoming an early 7-1 deficit to score a thrilling 9-8 win.
With the win, Nicholls improved to 20-18 on the season and 7-8 in Southland play.
Colonels coach Seth Thibodeaux said Saturday’s game may end up going down as the biggest win in Nicholls’ season.
“Down 7-1, some things weren’t going our way, and every, single baseball was bouncing against us,” Thibodeaux said. “Our guys never really panicked at all. I think you just saw that sense of urgency come around a little bit. Finding a way to win on the toughest day of the week and in a tough moment was a total tribute and tip of the hat to our players.”
Saturday’s game was a thriller.
The Cardinals came out smoking, rolling to a 7-1 lead after the top of the fourth inning, roasting Nichols starter Mike Hanchar, who had a tough outing.
But Nicholls gradually chipped away.
The Colonels got a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, then four more in the bottom of the fifth to trim the deficit to 7-6.
The Cardinals got a run in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-6, but the Colonels again had an answer, tying the game in the bottom of the seventh on a two-RBI double from catcher Alex Tucker.
He was down 0-2 in the count, before smoking a pitch down the left-field line.
“I fouled off some tough pitches,” Tucker said. “Then, I was able to flip one over third (base). I had guys telling me that I was going to come back in a big situation, and it happened.”
After a scoreless top of the eighth, Nicholls broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth on a clutch RBI double from Chet Niehaus, which put the Colonels up for good and sealed the win.
Nicholls reliever Adam Tarver was huge in the win, pitching four relief innings, allowing just an unearned run.
Tarver’s performance rivaled that of Nicholls ace Cole Stapler, who opened the series with a bang for Nicholls. In Thursday night’s opener, the ace pitcher allowed just one run and five hits, logging a complete game victory to set the series victory into motion for the Colonels.
Third baseman Gage Teer and designated hitter Juan Givan were big in the win, each owning multi-hit days.
Nicholls got clutch RBIs from Quade Smith, Kyle Knauth and Givan, which gave Stapler plenty enough run support to push past the confused Cardinals hitters.
But on Friday, the Cardinals got a little revenge.
Incarnate Word trailed 3-2 in that game, but rallied back, taking a 4-3 lead in the top of the second inning, chasing Nicholls starter Cayden Hatcher after 89 pitches.
The Colonels battled back and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI infield single by Givan, but it didn’t last.
Incarnate Word won the game in the ninth inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk, which was cashed in four batters later when Garrett Terrell pushed a single through the left side of the infield to give his team the lead, setting the stage for Saturday’s dramatic rubber game.
Nicholls will return to Southland action this weekend in a three-game set against Southeastern Louisiana University.
Friday and Sunday’s games will be in Thibodaux. Saturday’s game will be played in Hammond. The rotating series is an annual tradition between the Colonels and Lions.
SOFTBALL DROPS 2 OF 3 AGAINST McNEESE STATE
The McNeese State University softball team all-but clinched the regular season Southland Conference Title this weekend, taking two of three games at Nicholls.
But the Colonels did prove to the Cowgirls that they can compete with them on any given day.
McNeese won the series but had to work heavily for it, losing game one on Friday night, then sweeping Saturday’s double header.
The different were the Cowgirls’ bats, which punished Nicholls’ pitching, scoring 18 runs over the three games to improve to 30-14 on the season.
The series started well for the Colonels.
Nichols won game one, using two runs in the first, then two more in the fifth, to thwart a three-run fifth for the Cowgirls.
Starter Jackie Johnson got the win for Nicholls, tossing five innings, allowing three runs.
Megan Landry got the save, recording the final six outs of the game without allowing a hit.
But in Saturday’s doubleheader, McNeese’s bats took over.
The Cowgirls scored in four of seven innings in game one of the double-dip, rolling to a 7-3 lead midway through the game.
The Colonels had base runners late, but could never threaten the lead, falling for the first time at home in Southland play.
But just a few hours later, it happened again.
Nicholls led the third game 3-0 early after a second-inning rally, but the Cowgirls battled back, scoring five runs in the top of the fourth inning to take control.
Nicholls cut the lead to 5-4 after plating a run in the bottom of the sixth, but McNeese grabbed back control in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs to send the game to its final margin. •
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