Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls State
Colonels Even Series With Run-Rule Win
3/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 27, 2010
THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls Colonels jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings on Saturday and kept the runs coming, picking up an 11-1, run-rule victory in just seven innings behind a complete-game effort from starting pitcher Clint Dempster at Ray E. Didier Field.
The `Jacks (14-7, 5-2 Southland) had scoring opportunities against Dempster, but stranded nine runners on the day and finished just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Colonels' (13-9, 4-4 Southland) starter picked up his third win of the year with five strikeouts and three walks, allowing just one extra-base hit to the `Jacks.
Justin Braddock struggled in his first Saturday start, only making it through four innings while allowing seven runs, five earned, with no walks and two strikeouts.
Nicholls plated three runs in the first inning on RBI hits from Chase Jaramillo and Adam Miley, and added two more in the second as Bear Comer and Jaramillo delivered to give the Colonels a 5-0 cushion through just two frames.
Dempster put a pair of `Jacks on with two outs in both innings as well, but worked out of trouble each time and avoided trouble for the majority of the day.
He got two more runs to work with in the fifth as SFA had committed a pair of errors on consecutive attempts at sacrifice bunts by the Colonels, bringing in a run on the second miscue and setting up an RBI ground out by Tristan Rogers two batters later.
The `Jacks got their only run of the day in the sixth when Jarid Scarafiotti drew a two-out walk and Bo Coffman followed with his second single of the day, setting up Ryan Priest who rolled a single through the left side to get the run home. SFA then put together a serious scoring threat with two outs as Dempster hit Justin McAninch to load the bases, but Michael Haynes was robbed of an RBI one hitter later when Jaramillo ranged to his left to cut off a roller up the middle and force out McAninch at second.
Nicholls then put it away early with four runs in the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out off of SFA reliver Cody Priest. Rogers and Brady Borque then delivered consecutive RBI singles to push the score to 9-1. An RBI fielder's choice by Kevin Schlegel got the Colonels to within a run of closing it out before Brett Higginbotham issued consecutive walks with two outs to Mike Barba and Comer to close out the game.
SFA and Nicholls close out their series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch scheduled. Brett Rogers is slated to go for SFA, while Tyler Minto is the scheduled starter for the Colonels.
-SFA-
