Farley’s pitching gem, Parker home runs lead Nicholls to SLC tourney title, NCAA berth

Nicholls got quality pitching, stellar defense, and timely hitting on its way to capturing the Southland Conference tournament title for the second year in a row.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Parker Coddou hit the first of his two home runs and the Colonels never looked back in a 15-1 run-rule win in seven innings over McNeese State on Saturday night in Hammond.

“We talked about playing our best at the most important time of the year and something we work on all year. We talked about it since August, we’re not going to play our best baseball all the time, but we need to be playing our best baseball at the most important time and obviously tonight was the most important time,” Nicholls coach Mike Silva said.

By capturing the tournament championship, the Colonels advance to the NCAA regionals for the second consecutive year. Nicholls (38-20) will find its tournament fate when the parings are announced on Monday.

McNeese (32-27) brought back Zach Voss to pitch against Nicholls in the conference championship game.

In McNeese’s 14-4 elimination game win earlier on Saturday, Voss got the start against Lamar. He worked the first 2 1/3 innings. With the Cowboys leading 8-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Voss allowed back-to-back home runs – a two-run shot by River Orsak and a solo homer to Zak Skinner.

Voss ended up allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out three but left the game after throwing only 38 pitches.

In the opening game of a three-game series between the teams on May 16, Voss was the losing pitcher, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks, with two strikeouts in five innings.

In the final game of the series on May 18, Dylan Farley, the fourth of seven pitchers used by Nicholls in a 10-6 Colonel loss, pitched four innings. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out three.

Saturday, Farley (3-2) went the distance with his seven-inning effort being his longest stint of the season in the most important game of his collegiate career. He allowed one run on four hits and five walks while striking out six.

“Dylan threw really well against them last week,” Silva said. “We feel like he’s really good out of the bullpen. To be honest, I was kind of second guess myself with the decision who I started the week before.

“Dylan had been so good at different times this year. He’s been so good against Tulane, he’s been so good against Southern Miss and his confidence is teetered at times this year. I wasn’t worried about his stuff or his ability to get the job done. I was worried about him just staying within himself and execute. My God, he did it tonight, didn’t he?”

The Colonel offense pounded out 16 hits in the game.

Picking up where they left off in their win over Lamar, the Cowboys scored early on Nicholls on a solo home run to left field by Cooper Hext.

Hext’s home run served to light a quick jump-start for the Colonels.

With one out in the top of the second inning, MaCrae Kendrick drew his sixth walk in the tournament. After a fly out to left field by Garrett Felix, Kaden Amundson walked.

Pitching in his second game of the day and third in the tournament, Voss was pulled after allowing his third walk in 1 2/3 innings. Nicholls leadoff hitter Parker Coddou greeted new McNeese pitcher Cameron LeJeune with a home run to left field, giving the Colonels a 3-1 lead.

“Parker Coddou has struggled for us, he really has. What he did offensively and defensively was just outstanding. That’s who he is as a player. He’s been trying to do too much all year. It’s so important to him, it’s so important to his family. He’s a legacy player. His dad played here. To see him have that moment with the two home runs and outstanding defense, just cements the legacy he’s going to leave here,” said Silva.

Solo home runs throughout the series allowed Nicholls to advance in the tournament. The two walks before Coddou’s deep fly ball helped the Colonels to establish a bit of an early cushion.

A pair of defensive gems by the Colonels in the bottom of the third inning kept McNeese from closing the gap.

A single by Grant Mangrum to open the inning before Farley hit Hext with a pitch and a walk issued to Conner Westenburg loaded the bases with one out.

Coddou, the Nicholls shortstop, made an over-the-shoulder catch of a blooper over second base hit by Elliot Hebert saved at least one run. Hollins hit a hard grounder to the left of Gerardo Villarreal. The Colonel third baseman beat Hext to the bag for the final out of the inning.

“Parker’s over-the-shoulder was a SportsCenter Top 10 Play,” said Silva. “Putting (Gerardo Villarreal) at third base was a decision – he struggled at times this year – and he played right field. We had to make a decision as to what’s our best team and what does it look like defensively. We put him over there and he delivered all tournament. He was outstanding defensively and got some clutch hits for us, too.”

After the Colonel defense saved runs for Nicholls, the Cowboys’ defense hurt Nicholls in the top of the fourth inning.

With one out, Kaden Amundson reached base on a fielding error by McNeese second baseman Peyton LeJeune.

After Coddou flied out, a double by Edgar Alvarez put runners on second and third. Villarreal’s double to right center extended the Nicholls lead to 5-1.

With Nicholls clinging to a 3-1 lead, Farley got himself in a bit of a jam. Silva went to the mound but stuck with his starter.

“We didn’t think they were hitting him very hard. He was in the zone. He was making really good pitches. I went out there to see what was on his mind,” Silva said. “He had a big ole smile on his face and he said, ‘I’m good. I’m in control. I feel really good where I’m at. I got this guy.’ One of the things in coaching is trusting guys, hang in there and go through a little bit of adversity. At time, I’m a quick-trigger guy. I go to our bullpen really fast. That’s a complement to our bullpen. He had a good demeanor about him, a good look in his eye. Sometimes you throw the numbers out and just trust your gut.”

Nicholls played add-on and then some in the fifth inning.

“When Parker thit the home run, I thought our whole dugout changed. We settled in and the floodgates kind of opened up then,” said Silva.

The Colonels scored six runs in the inning on back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Kendrick and Narvin Booker Jr., an RBI-single by Amundson, a two-run homer by Coddou, and a run-scoring single by Williams to put Nicholls on top 11-1.

Nicholls padded the lead even further in the seventh inning on a two-run double by Felix, a run-scoring double by Kendrick, and a Booker sacrifice fly to make it 15-1.

“It was all gas and no brakes. They were locked in,” Silva said.

Voss (2-6) suffered the loss. He allowed two runs on one hit and three walks in 1 2/3 innings. Cameron LeJeune allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings.

The outcome of Saturday’s game, coupled with a second-straight trip to the NCAA Regionals, left the Nicholls coach in a reflective mood.

“To get to see them just celebrate like that and accomplish what they’ve accomplished is an extremely humbling experience. There’s been guys who have done this for 20, 30 years and never get a moment like that. The last two years here at Nicholls have been very special,” Silva said.