Desandro gets the win while saving the day for Nicholls in 10-7 series-clinching victory over UIW

For most of the three-game series, it seemed the Nicholls and Incarnate Word baseball teams were playing under the rules of whoever scores seven runs first, wins.

UIW won the Southland Conference series opener on Friday 7-6 by holding off a late Nicholls rally. Saturday, Nicholls rallied with a three-run home run by Edgar Alavarez in the ninth inning to come out on top 7-6.

When Nicholls spotted the Cardinals an early 6-0 advantage Sunday before scoring four runs in the third inning and three in the fourth to take a 7-6 lead, the score seemed predestined. The problem, however, was the runs came with too many innings still left in the game.

The teams went on to score a combined four more runs over the final four innings of the game, but three of those belonged to Nicholls in a 10-7 triumph that gave the Colonels a Southland Conference series win Sunday afternoon in San Antonio.

Nicholls improved to 12-6 in the SLC and 30-17 overall. Incarnate Word fell to 9-9 in the Southland and 24-22 overall.

After Nicholls scored its three runs in the top of the fourth, the Cardinals countered in the bottom half of the inning with an unearned run to tie the game 7-7.

That would prove to be the final run UIW would score.

Nicholls took the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning.

With runners on second and third and one out, Narvin Booker hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice, Nicholls on top 8-7,

Nicholls added a pair of insurance runs, one coming in the sixth inning and the other in the eighth. The first run came on an RBI-double by Basiel Williams. The final run of the game was when Alvarez scored from third on a wild pitch. He had opened the inning by reaching base on an error.

Incarnate Word came out swinging Sunday afternoon, scoring four runs in the first inning.

A leadoff single by Cameron Caley was followed by a run-scoring double by Grant Randall, giving UIW the lead only two batters into the inning. Following a walk issued to Dalton Beck by Nicholls starter Michael Quevedo, J.D. Gregson flied out, advancing Beck to put runners on the corners.

Rey Mendoza’s sacrifice fly to left field made it 2-0.

A double by Daniel Calabrese made a it 3-0, with the final run of the inning coming when Ryan Scott scored on a passed ball.

UIW extended its lead to 6-0 in the second inning on a two-run opposite-field home to left field left by Beck.

Nicholls began its rally with four runs in the bottom of the third inning.

With one out, Kaden Amundson, Parker Coddou, and Alvarez all walked to load the bases. A double by Felix cleared the bases to make the score 6-3. Williams followed with a run-scoring single to rally the Colonels to within two runs.

Nicholls took the lead in the fourth inning.

Cade Crosby opened the inning with a double. With one out, a Booker single scored Crosby to make it 6-5.

With two outs, Coddou homered to right field to put Nicholls on top 7-6.

Devin Desandro (5-4), who pitched the final 6 2/3 innings in relief of Quevedo, got the win. He allowed one run on five hits and one walk, while striking out three.

Westin Walls (2-5), the second of four UIW pitchers, suffered the loss. He allowed two runs on three hits, with one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings.

Nicholls 7, Incarnate Word 6: Alvarez blasted a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to rally Nicholls past the Cardinals.

Entering the inning trailing 6-4, Kuriger opened the inning by reaching base on an error and Amundson was hit by a pitch.

Following a fly out by Coddou, Alvarez belted a home run to center field to put the Colonels on top.

In the bottom of the ninth, Nicholls pitcher Nico Saltaformaggio retired the side in order to end the game.

Saltaformaggio (4-4) picked up the win. He entered the game in the second inning in relief of starter Jack Nelson and pitched the remaining 7 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out eight.

Saltaformaggio was brought into the game with two outs in the second inning with the Cardinals in the midst of a five-run inning.

Nicholls had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a home run by Felix before the Cardinals did their damage in the bottom half of the inning.

A single by Mendoza and a double by Gregson quickly put a pair or runners in scoring position. After Scott struck out, Nelson hit Tyler Cowan with a pitch to load the bases.

A sacrifice fly by Ryder Hernandez produced the first run. Caley followed with a run-scoring single to make it 2-1.

After Randall was hit by a pitch, Beck followed with a bases-clearing double to make it 5-1.

Incarnate Word led 6-2 when the Colonels narrowed the deficit to two runs in the fifth inning on a pair of run-scoring ground outs by Alvarez and Gerardo Villarreal.

Dave Johnson (4-3), the second of two UIW pitchers, suffered the loss. He allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits in two innings.

Incarnate Word 7, Nicholls 6: Colonel pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone, walking a total of 10 batters in falling to the Cardinals in the opening game of the series on Friday afternoon.

UIW’s Caley made the Colonels pay the price in the fourth inning with a bases-clearing single. Two of the runners who scored reached base via a walk.

A solo home run by Nicholls outfielder Williams in the second inning was countered by a bases-loaded walk issued by Colonels starter Jacob Mayers to Randall in the third inning for a 1-1 tie going into the fourth inning.

A walk issued to Gregson and an error put runners on the corners in the fourth inning, with Mayers being replaced on the mound by Dylan Farley.

After walking the first batter he faced to load the bases, Sam Hill replaced Farley.

Hill walked the first batter he faced to force in a run.

Chase Richter entered the game in place of Hill. The fourth pitcher of the inning, Richter gave up a single to Caley. Three runs scored when an error on the play by Williams, the Nicholls center fielder, allowed Caley to advance all the way to third base.

A single up the middle by Randall scored Caley with the final run of the inning.

UIW scored its five runs in the fourth on only two hits. Nicholls pitchers walked three batters in the Colonels committed two errors in the inning.

A late Colonel rally attempt came up a bit short.

Trailing 7-2 in the eighth inning, Nicholls scored three runs on a run-scoring single by Alvarez and a two-run base hit by Williams to pull to within 7-5. Nicholls added a final run in the top of the seventh on a run-scoring single by Coddou.

Following Alvarez’s hit, Adam Byrd entered the game in place of Luis Rodriguez and got Villarreal to fly out to center field to end the game.

Mayers suffered the loss. He didn’t give up a hit but walked seven while striking out five in three innings. One of the three runs he allowed was unearned.