Baseball: May 8 Scoreboard

Baseball: May 8 Scoreboard

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Nicholls 5, New Orleans 3
UIW 6, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
Stephen F. Austin 1, Lamar 0
Southeastern Louisiana 6, Central Arkansas 0
Houston Baptist 14, Sam Houston State 5
McNeese State 4, Grambling 0
 
Nicholls 5, New Orleans 3
THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team trailed through the first seven innings of play before scoring three quick runs to capture a come-from-behind win over New Orleans and clinch a postseason spot in the series-opener at Ray E. Didier Field.
 
The Colonels (30-16-1, 15-10 SLC) picked up their 30th victory in dramatic fashion, keeping things close before exploding in the eighth inning. Friday’s performance extends Nicholls’ winning streak to a season-long six games and marks the first time Nicholls earned back-to-back 30-win seasons since 1992-93.
 
The Dirty Red won off the field as well, teaming up with the Thibodaux Regional Medical Center and auctioning off game-worn pink uniforms to raise money for the Komen Bayou Region Race for the Cure. All totaled, the squad raised nearly $3,000 towards the fight against breast cancer.
 
The Colonels got off to a rough start, surrendering an unearned run in a two-error second inning. Jonathan Santana and Preston Marsh reached on back-to-back fielding miscues and Santana eventually came home on a ground out to give the Privateers (14-34, 3-22) a 1-0 lead.
 
Nicholls answered in the fourth, scoring a run to tie the ballgame. Seth Stevens singled through the right side, took to second on a ground out, advanced third on a balk and scored on a Christian Correa single through the left side.
 
New Orleans punched back in a controversial fifth inning, scoring a run to grab a 2-1 advantage. Samuel Capielano singled to center and advanced on consecutive sacrifice bunts. A wild pitch snuck past Correa behind the plate and Capielano made a mad dash for home. Correa fielded the ball and fired it to Ryan Deemes, who turned and appeared to make the tag at home for the final out of the inning, but Capielano was ruled safe on a delayed call.
 
The Colonels responded in the bottom of the frame, tying things up at two runs apiece. Justin Holt led off with a single through the middle, before advancing on a sacrifice bunt from Darius Knight. On the play, Holt took second base and realized that third base had been left uncovered. Never breaking his stride, Holt rounded second and sprinted towards third, sliding in safely. The next batter, Kyle Reese, notched a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Holt to score.
 
The Privateers regained the lead with a run in a wild eighth inning. Hezekiah Randolph doubled to left field and advanced to second on a fly out. After a pitching change, pinch hitter Cameron Hoffman singled through the middle, bringing Randolph in.
 
Nicholls fought back to take their first lead of the night in the bottom of the frame. Knight walked and advanced to second on a single to second by Reese. On the play, the Privateer second baseman fielded the ball before colliding with Knight in the base path, making an already difficult throw impossible. Tanner Vandevere subsequently laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners up. The next batter, Stevens, was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. After a pitching change, Justin Smith singled to second base, scoring Knight. A late throw on the play sailed over the head of the UNO first baseman, allowing Reese to come home. Correa subsequently laid down a sacrifice bunt, scoring Stevens.
 
Ryan Deemes started for the Colonels, tossing 7 2/3 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on only four hits with five strikeouts. Deemes carried a no-hitter through the first four innings of play. Stuart Holmes (3-1) earned the win, giving up three hits while fanning two batters through 1 1/3 innings of work.
 
Seth Laigast (0-2) took the loss, surrendering three runs (one earned) on one hit with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
 
Correa led the offensive attack for Nicholls, going 1-for-3 and driving in two runs. Reese extended his hitting streak to 14 games with another monster effort, batting 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
Capielano paced New Orleans offensively with a 1-for-4 night, a run and an RBI. Hoffman finished 1-for-1 with an RBI.
 
Game two is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday in New Orleans with game three scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday in Thibodaux. Both matchups will be broadcast live on KTIB 640 AM.
 
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UIW 6, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Colton Besett's (Cedar Park/Vista Ridge HS) 3-run home run in the bottom of the fourth proved to be enough for Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) and the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team to take the series opener against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-1 Friday at Sullivan Field.

Encina earned his third win of the season with eight strong innings of work against the Islanders (21-24, 11-14 SLC). He allowed four hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out five. The lone run came in the top of the seventh when pinch hitter Dom Lopez hit a double to right center field that scored Kyle Danford. Other than that, Encina seemed to be under control the entire game.

Besett gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead in the fourth with his team-leading fifth home run of the season on a first pitch fastball from Trevor Belicek.  Belicek pitched six innings for the Islanders and surrendered three runs on three hits, five walks and five strikeouts to take his fourth loss of the season.

The Cardinals (19-27, 10-15 SLC) tallied three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a bases-loaded single from Aaron Warren (Schertz/Wagner HS) that plated two and a bloop single from Matt Morris (Scottsdale, AZ/Saguaro HS) that gave UIW the 6-1 lead.

Trevor Hardee (Alvord/Alvord HS) came in to pitch a scoreless ninth for the Cardinals in a non-save situation and retired the side allowing only one hit and striking out one.

Blake Woosley (Corvallis,OR/Philomath HS) had a very productive night at the plate. He finished 1-for-1 with a run scored and three walks. Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) scored two runs and walked three times as well. The Cardinals out-hit the Islanders 6-5 on the night and they both committed one error apiece.

In an effort to get the series in before inclement weather hits the teams have scheduled to play a doubleheader at noon on Saturday.
 
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Stephen F. Austin 1, Lamar 0
BEAUMONT, Texas – If Friday night’s game was senior Cameron Gann’s final appearance in a Stephen F. Austin uniform, he couldn’t have scripted a better way to go out. Gann recorded the complete game shutout, allowing just four hits with eight strikeouts, including five over the final two innings, propelling SFA to a 1-0 win over Lamar.
 
The win snaps the Lumberjacks’ four-game skid, improving to 16-33 and 10-17 in Southland Conference play. It also keeps their slim SLC tournament hopes alive as eighth-place A&M-Corpus Christi fell at Incarnate Word 6-1, moving the ‘Jacks to within three games of the Islanders for the final playoff spot.
 
Gann was in control all night on the mound for SFA, forcing Lamar to scatter its four hits on the night. He retired 12-straight Cardinals from the fourth through the eighth innings, but wasn’t getting any help offensively as the Lumberjacks were struggling to get hits of their own in the pitching duel.
 
SFA finally broke through in the eighth as Conner Fikes drew a two-out, full count walk to give the ‘Jacks a baserunner. He then stole second to move into scoring position which proved crucial as Nick Ramos then registered a two-out single to center, allowing Fikes to cross the plate for the game’s only run.
 
That one run advantage was all Gann needed. Lamar threatened in the eighth, registering a two-out double, but his second strikeout of the inning ended the threat.
 
The senior from Crandall then took to the mound in the ninth, striking out the first Lamar batter before a single put the tying run on first. But back-to-back strikeouts put the game into the books as Gann recorded his first complete game shutout of the season, throwing a total of 124 pitches on the night.
 
SFA managed only five hits on the night as Lamar starter Chase Angelle lasted 7.2 innings and recorded eight strikeouts as well, but was tagged with the loss after surrendering the lone run of the night in the eighth.
 
In addition to the RBI single from Ramos, Fikes, Matthew Dickey, Garrett McMullen and Hunter Wilson comprised the five-hit night for SFA.
 
SFA and Lamar return to the diamond at Vincent-Beck Stadium Saturday afternoon for game two of the three-game series. Left hander Dillon Mangham will be making possibly his final SFA start with the first pitch being thrown out at 2 p.m.
 
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Southeastern Louisiana 6, Central Arkansas 0
HAMMOND, La. – Tate Scioneaux tossed his second-straight shutout and Southeastern Louisiana defeated Central Arkansas, 6-0, in Southland Conference play Friday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Southeastern (37-14, 21-4 Southland) won for the 12th-consecutive time in conference play, beating Central Arkansas (23-20, 13-12 Southland) in a rematch of the last two Southland tournament championship games.
 
The Lions jumped on Central Arkansas starting pitcher Connor Gilmore (7-3) for all six runs in the second inning. Just one was earned.
 
Brett Hoffman led off the inning with a single through the right side and advanced to second base when Kennon Menard drew a walk. It was the 198th hit of Hoffman's career, tying him for eighth place on Southeastern's all-time list.
 
Webb Bobo dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line, advancing the runners. Bobo reached safely when the second baseman, covering the bag at first, pulled his foot off the bag early on the throw.
 
Chris Eades drove in the eventual winning run, pulling a single through the left side. With one out, Jacob Seward cranked a sacrifice fly to deep right-center field to drive in Menard for a 2-0 lead.
 
Carson Crites doubled the Lions' lead, doubling to left-center to plate Bobo and Eades. Crites scored when Brad Dillenberger, the Central Arkansas shortstop, overthrew first base on a Daniel Midyett grounder.
 
Midyett scored when Kevin Carr smacked the first triple of his career past the center fielder.
 
Scioneaux (8-2), who has tossed 20-consecutive scoreless innings, did not allow a hit until the fourth. Scattering single hits in the fifth and sixth as well, he followed all up with strikeouts.
 
The junior from Reserve, Louisiana, fanned 10 en route to earning the 22nd victory of his career, tying former teammate Jordan Hymel for fifth on Southeastern's all-time wins list. He is also fifth in career strikeouts (248) and moved into a tie with Bob Hardy for the second-most career innings pitched as a Lion (301.1).
Carr led Southeastern at the plate, going 2-for-4 in game one of the series.
 
Saturday's 2 p.m. game will feature Bingo at the Ballpark. Baseball-themed bingo cards will be given out to all fans and students. Prizes will be awarded to the first 20 fans with bingo. The first participant to produce an "S" on their bingo card will receive $100.
The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, online and through either the KSLU or TuneIn Radio smartphone apps. Fans can also keep up with the action through live statistics or by following @SLUathletics on Twitter. Streaming video is available on LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream.
 
Links for audio, video, stats, tickets and promotions are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
The Lions will send junior right-hander Jake Johnson (9-1, 2.85) to the mound in the second game of the series against Central Arkansas righty Brandon Hagerla (5-3, 3.89).
 
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Houston Baptist 14, Sam Houston State 5
HOUSTON, Texas – Houston Baptist junior first baseman Andrew Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, a walk, four RBIs and three runs as the Huskies routed Sam Houston State, 14-5, in the Southland Conference series opener Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
 
Senior centerfielder Zach Nehrir went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, two runs and a stolen base, while junior shortstop Louie Payetta was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for the Huskies (23-24, 13-12 SLC). Senior third baseman Curtis Jones was 2-for-4, drove in two and scored a run, junior second baseman Greg Espinosa was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run and senior rightfielder Thomas Clay was 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a pair of runs. Junior leftfielder Brandon Morones added a solo home run.
 
Senior righthander Taylor Wright (7-6) earned the win for HBU, allowing five runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk in five and two-thirds innings. Junior Matt Harding and senior Josh Martinez combined to hold the Bearkats scoreless over the final three and one-third innings, with Martinez striking out the side in the ninth.
 
Colt Atwood was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run and Trevor Winne was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for SHSU (26-24, 15-10). Bryce Johnson and Hayden Simerly each scored a pair of runs for the Bearkats.
 
The Huskies jumped on the Bearkats early, scoring five runs in the first inning. Nehrir led off the game with a single on the first pitch of the game, then Payetta singled on a hit-and-run to put runners on the corners. Jones singled in the games’ first run, then senior catcher Samm Wiggins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Espinosa lifted a sacrifice fly to center for the second out and put HBU ahead, 2-0, then Alvarez delivered a two-run triple down the rightfield line and scored on an error.
 
SHSU scored a single run in the second when Simerly led off with a single and later scored on a single by Winne, then added another in the third when Johnson was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored on a double by Atwood.
 
HBU answered with five more runs in the bottom of the third. Espinosa singled, Alvarez reached on an error, then both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Morones struck out for the second out, but Clay walked to load the bases. Nehrir came through with a  two-run single to center, Clay scored when Payetta reached on an error, then Jones’s single to center put the Huskies ahead, 10-2.
 
The Bearkats rallied for three in the sixth, loading the bases with one out and scoring on a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly by Jake MacWilliam and a double by Winne.
 
The Huskies got the run back in the seventh when Clay led off with a single, stole second and scored on a single by Payetta. They piled on with three more in the eighth when Alvarez and Morones smashed back-to-back home runs. Alvarez’s was a two-run shot for his second of the year, while Morones blasted his first career home run at HBU.
 
The series concludes with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon. Between games, HBU will honor the 13 senior members of the team as they play their final home game at Husky Field.
 
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McNeese State 4, Grambling 0
LAKE CHARLES, La. – The McNeese baseball team used a pair of two-run homers and rode junior starter Kaleb Fontenot’s complete game shutout gem to a 4-0 victory in Friday night’s non-conference series opener against Grambling at Cowboy Diamond.
 
Fontenot (7-3) retired 24 of the 30 batters he faced, including a stretch of 12 consecutive outs in his nine innings of work. He allowed five hits and compiled a streak of nine consecutive strikeouts in the first three frames. The junior right-hander tied a career-high strikeout mark with nine K’s on the night.
 
With the victory, the Cowboys improved to 29-21 on the season and have now scored five consecutive wins at Cowboy Diamond. The Tigers dipped to 8-35 overall this year.
 
McNeese posted its third shutout of the season and second within the last month. The Pokes blanked Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8-0, on March 16, and held Lamar scoreless back on April 11th in a 2-0 win.
 
Ike O’Bear (2-6) took the loss for Grambling after pitching five innings, allowing five hits and four runs.
 
Junior Billy Sommers added to his personal collection of taters after having lifted his fourth homer of the season out of the park in the bottom of the first inning, scoring senior shortstop Connor Lloyd in the process to go up by two runs over the Tigers.
 
Awaiting his turn was sophomore Matt Gallier who launched a two-run shot over the wall in the fourth inning that extended the Cowboys’ lead over Grambling to a 4-0 score. Gallier’s bomb was his seventh of the season. His homer scored himself and junior Lewis Guilbeau.
 
The McNeese defense ran into a rut during the third inning as Grambling advanced runners into scoring position via back-to-back base hits and a double steal. However, Fontenot and his troop of Pokes avoided any runs from the visitors after retiring the next two batters.
 
Fontenot entered another dangerous situation in the fifth inning when the Tiger’s led off with a hit by catcher Roger Diaz. Diaz was able to move over to third after a couple of groundouts but was stranded in scoring position after a strikeout from Fontenot shot down another scoring attempt.
 
From then on, only one more Grambling runner was able to reach second base in the top of the ninth but was unable to find home plate following consecutive putouts.
 
Lloyd and Gallier each recorded two hits in the ball game while Sommers logged a hit, a run scored, two RBIs and a walk.
 
Both teams will meet again on the diamond in a Saturday twin bill with the first game slated to kick-off at 3 p.m. The doubleheader will be a special one as 11 McNeese baseball seniors will be recognized before the start of the first game while fans will get three chances to win a free car via a raffle in between the first and second game.
 
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