Harris, Cure, Pace Nunez offense in sweep of SUNO in Chalmette

HARRIS, CURE, PACE NUNEZ OFFENSE In SWEEP OF SUNO IN CHALMETTE

CHALMETTE, LA – Nunez Community College had to break out the long ball to get past Southern University – New Orleans in a pair of highly competitive contests by scores of 5-3 and 10-7 Tuesday afternoon/evening at Suarez Stadium.

Ben Harris (5-for-6, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Colin Cure (4-for-7, two 2B, HR, 4 RBI) led the Nunez offense with the most hits on the evening, but there were several other plate heroes for the Pelicans on this night, including Noah Detillier, who homered in each game, as well as Roth John, James Bendeck, and Evan Rohlfs, who each delivered deciding hits in the doubleheader.

In Game 2, Jayce LaCava started the home run feast with a 4th-inning solo blast that was followed an inning later by a trio of solo clouts that together turned a 2-run deficit into a 1-run lead at that point.

GAME 1 – NUNEZ 5 SUNO 3 (7 innings)

Owen Forbes got his second consecutive mound start against the Knights and , just like back on March 12, recorded the victory by turning in over 6 innings of steady mound work.

SUNO jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning as they loaded the bases with none out on a single, walk, and hit-batter, but Forbes got double-play grounder and inning ending strikeout to limit the Knights to just one run.

Nunez then took the lead at 3-1 in the bottom half on a walk followed by doubles from Harris and Cure and a Rohlfs single. But the Knights tied it right back in the third on a walk , single, and Jaden Johnson’s double to the wall in left-center.

The Pels then put together the deciding rally in the bottom half as Detillier led off with a long homer over the centerfield wall, and Cure followed with a single, moved up on a groundout, and the raced home as Rohlfs (2-for-3, 2 RBI) lined a single to left for a 5-3 lead, which stood up as final score after the pitching on sides dominated the last 4 innings.

Forbes retired from the game with one-out in the seventh after reaching his pitch limit, and was relieved by Andre Roux who recorded his first of 2 saves on the night.

Score By innings – Tue 04/16 Game 1
SUNO – 102 000 0 – 3 4 0
Nunez – 302 000 x – 5 10 0
Lawson, Guillory (4), and Bowersox.
Forbes, Adr Roux (7) and Rohlfs.
W – Forbes. L – Lawson. S – Adr Roux.
2B – Johnson, Cure, Harris. HR – Detillier.

GAME 2 – NUNEZ 10 SUNO 7 (7 innings)

The Knights again scored first as they opened the game with 3 walks, a hit-by-pitch and single to grab a 2-0 lead, but left the bases loaded as Pel reliever Carson Dearing got a comebacker to the mound that trickled away toward first base, having to make the key out at first himself with a dive at the bag.

The Pelicans wasted little time flipping the lead as Cure doubled in Harris and Dorien Jackson who had each singled, with Cure then taking third on an errant back-pick, and then after LaCava walked, the runners pulled off a double-steal to take a 3-2 lead.

But SUNO took it right back at 4-3 in the top of the second as Alonzo Monts lead off with a single, with courtesy-runner Jackson Frazier next speeding all the way to third on Kyler Shepard’s infield single. Damian Lantigua then plated Frazier with a sacrifice fly to center. Shepard then stole second, was sacrificed to third by former-Pel Darcy Franklin, and next scored on a passed ball.

The next six runs of the game came on home runs, with LaCava’s solo shot in the bottom of the fourth tying it at 4-4. But a 2-run homer by Monts gave the Knights a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth, after which the Pels got consecutive round-trippers from Harris, Detillier, and Cure leading off the bottom half to go back ahead 7-6.

SUNO then was able to tie it back up in the sixth on a walk followed by singles from Monts and Lantigua. But Pelican reliever Cole Bordes was then able to get an inning-ending strikeout with the go-ahead runners stranded at second and third to leave the game knotted at 7-7.

The winning Nunez rally started with 2 outs in the bottom-of the-sixth as LaCava drew a walk and Matthew Cody was hit-by-pitch. Roth John, who had been inserted as a defensive replacement an inning earlier, then drove a clutch hard-hit single into left-center to put his team ahead 8-7. James Bendeck followed with smoking liner to the wall in deep right-center to plate a pair of big insurance runs.

The Pels then turned to Andre Roux again in the seventh, who proceeded to strike-out the side to end the game and record his second save of the night, with Bordes getting credit for the win.

Dorien Jackson enjoyed a 3-for-5 outing in the nightcap.

Score By innings – Tue 04/16 Game 2
SUNO – 220 201 0 – 7 7 2
Nunez – 301 303 x – 10 15 1
Beebe, Ingram (4), Farrow (5) and Monts.
Reed, Dearing (1), Bordes (5), Adr Roux (7) and Cure.
W –Bordes. L – Farrow. S – Adr Roux.
2B – Cure, Bendeck, D Jackson. SF – Lantigua.
HR – Detillier, Monts, LaCava, Harris, Cure.

SCHEDULE CHANGE / NEXT UP:
With the announcement of the 2024 LHSAA Baseball Playoff Bracket that made Suarez Stadium unavailable for Thursday’s scheduled doubleheader John Melvin University, and with the Pelicans having a bye in conference play this weekend, the games have been rescheduled for Sunday, April 21, with Game 1 first pitch at Suarez Stadium slated for 2 PM. Nunez students, faculty, and staff admitted free with Nunez ID.

The Pels will then have to hop right back on the bus the next morning, Monday April 22, as they will travel to Pineville for a twin bill against Louisiana Christian University.