Baseball | 3/5/2016 8:43:00 PM
Box Score THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday evening at Ray E. Didier Field, and reliever Daniel Goff made those stand up in the top of the ninth as the Colonels knocked off ACU, 4-2, in Southland Conference baseball action.
The loss drops ACU to 7-4 overall and 1-1 in Southland play, while the Colonels improve to 5-7 and 1-1, snapping a seven-game losing streak. The final game of the three-game set will be played Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats trailed 2-0 going to the top of the eighth, and it looked as if Nicholls starting pitcher Cole Stapler would cruise through that inning when he quickly retired
Russell Crippen and
Mark Pearson for the first two outs of the inning.
But catcher
Alex Copeland singled and then
Austin Call singled to put runners at first and second. With a 1-2 count against him, leadoff hitter
Aaron Draper singled up the middle to drive in Copeland to cut the Wildcats' deficit to 2-1. With runners at first and second, freshman
Hunter Markwardt singled to drive in Call with the game-tying run, and he and Draper advanced to second and third, respectively, on a throwing effort.
But
Braxton Wilks struck out looking to end the inning, sending the game to the bottom half of the frame tied 2-2.
But it didn't take long for the Colonels to break through against ACU relief pitcher
Nate Cole. With one out, Gavin Wehby singled and went to second on a Juan Givan walk. Joey Morales then doubled to left-centerfield to drive in Wehby, while Givan was thrown out at the plate trying to score.
Alex Tucker then followed with an RBI single up the middle to drive in Morales with another run, pushing the Nicholls lead to 4-2. That was more than enough for Goff, who got the first Wildcats of the ninth out before giving up a single to Crippen. However, he finished the game and picked up the save by getting Pearson to ground out to shortstop to end the contest.
Garrett deMeyere gave up two runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of work, but was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season.
Aaron Mason is the Wildcats' scheduled starter for Sunday as ACU tries to win the season.
