Colonels score early then hold off McNeese for 4-3 win to open final series of the season

Nicholls scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to take an early 4-0 lead and then held on for a 4-3 win Thursday night over McNeese State on Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray Didier Field in the opening game of final three-game series of the season.

The win by the Colonels moved Nicholls to 15-7 in the Southland Conference. Also on Thursday, Lamar swept a double-header at the University of New Orleans. That moved the Cardinals to 17-6 in the SLC.

For Nicholls to have a chance to tie the Cardinals atop the SLC for the regular-season crown, the Colonels now must win their final two games against McNeese, while Lamar would have to lose to UNO.

Thursday’s game between Nicholls and McNeese was moved up 90 minutes because of weather concerns. Friday’s game, originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., has been moved to 3 p.m. The finale is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.

Nicholls built a 4-0 lead before a three-run home run by the Cowboys in the fifth allowed Nicholls to rally to within one run before the Colonels held on for the win.

“We get off to a good start and then we kind of go dormant for the rest of the way,” Nicholls coach Mike Silva said. “When they hit the home run, our dugout got a little bit tense. Our guys need to relax and enjoy this time of year. I told them very few teams are playing for something this time of year, and you are. You’ve got to earn that, so I want them to relax and enjoy it.

“The hard part is over. This is the fun part. I felt like we were a little to tense offensively and we shouldn’t have been. Once they put up a couple of zeroes, I thought we started to press and got away from approach. We’re too old and experienced to do that, so I would like to see is do a better job of that (Friday).”

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, back-to-back singles to right field by Edgar Alvarez and Geraldo Villarreal got the Colonels started. After both runners moved up on a ground out to first base by Garrett Felix, Basiel Williams delivered a single to left center field to give Nicholls a 2-0 lead.

“That was a real big moment for us. I felt like we needed a spark. I was blessed enough and able enough to get a pitch that I could handle and do some damage to it,” said Williams.

It was the first of three hits in the game for Williams.

“Going up there, seeing the ball, hitting the ball. That’s all it is. Whenever I keep it simple, that’s when I’m the best,” Williams said of the key to his success.

Walks issued to Drake Anderson and McCrae Kendrick by McNeese starter Zach Voss opened the second inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Narvin Booker Jr., a ground out to first base by Kaden Amundson scored Anderson for a 3-0 lead. A single to center by Parker Coddou drove in Kendrick to take it 4-0.

Meanwhile, Nicholls starter Jacob Mayers alternated walks and strikeouts through the first four innings, but despite traffic on the bases, he managed to avoid any damage.

In the first inning, he walked the leadoff batter of the game but retired the next three Cowboy batters. In the second inning, Mayers alternated a walk, strikeout, and another walk, before striking out the next two batters to get out of the inning. 

Mayers walked only one batter in the third inning but wiped him out when the sophomore pitcher picked Cooper Hext off first base.

After a leadoff walk to Elliott Hebert to open the top of the fourth inning, Mayers struck out Braley Hollins before surrendering his first hit of the game on Braden Duhon’s single to left field. Mayers struck out Chase Keeton and Peyton Lejeune to ground out to first base to end the inning.

The lack of control finally caught up with Mayers in the fifth inning. After getting two outs to open the inning, he hit Hext with a pitch and walked Connor Westenburg before Hebert belted a three-run home run to left field as the Cowboys rallied to within 4-3.

“Two quick outs, a hit by pitch, and a walk. He created the inning and then one swing of the bat, changes the score. Besides that, they really didn’t hurt us at all tonight. I thought we played good defense. He’s a tick away. He’s really, really close to getting us deep into the game. He’s fighting for it, and that’s all you can ask,” Silva said of Mayers’ effort.

Chase Richter opened the sixth inning on the mound for Nicholls. He had a quick first inning. After giving up a leadoff single in the seventh, he struck out the next to McNeese batters before giving way to Nico Saltaformaggio.

“I try to trust my stuff and go right after batters. Sometimes, they win off my mistakes, but most of the time, if I focus, I’m pretty successful,” said Richter.

“The five hitters he got; he closed that gap that we needed to get the ball to Nico for the last three. We’re asking a lot of that young man right now, he continues to step up and rise to the occasion, but I think he would kill me if I didn’t give him the ball with everything that is at stake right now,” Silva said.

Saltaformaggio escaped trouble in the eighth inning.

After striking out the first McNeese batter of the inning, he allowed a single to Hollins, a walk to Duhon, and a base hit by Keeton to load the bases. Saltaformaggio got LeJeune out on a called third strike and Grant Mangrum to ground out to second base to end the threat.

“I think he got squeezed a little bit. I thought a couple of those pitches were probably strikes. I thought he earned them, but that’s how it goes sometimes. That’s an old, veteran player who’s been there before emotionally staying engaged and just executing pitches and the outcome went in our favor,” said Silva.

Saltaformaggio retired the Cowboys in order in the ninth inning, including the final two on strikeouts to end the game for his second save of the season.

Mayers (4-1) picked up the win. He allowed three runs on two hits and six walks, while striking out eight in five innings.

The three Nicholls pitchers combined to strike out 15 Cowboy batters.

Voss (1-5) suffered the defeat. He yielded four runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out two.