Colonels edge Cowboys in non-conference meeting, 6-5

THIBODAUX, La. — Sparked by a monster Adam Tarver grand slam early in the contest, the Nicholls State University baseball program (2-5, 0-0 Southland) secured the team’s second victory of the season over in-state rival and league foe McNeese (5-2, 0-0 SLC) in the Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Mardi Gras Classic, downing the Cowboys 6-5 in a back-and-forth non-conference clash Sunday evening at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field.

In a format that has become custom to the Colonels thus far, both squads battled early for the lead, as the visiting Cowboys drew first blood with a pair of runs in the second frame. The Red & Gray were quick to respond, however, clinching a two-score advantage of their own on Tarver’s four-RBI dinger over the left-field wall.

After McNeese reclaimed their initial edge on solo runs in both the third and fourth innings, back-to-back strange plays late in the fifth granted the Colonels a lead they would never surrender, as Ivan Prejean scooted home on a passed ball before a Cowboy E6 on a stop-and-steal opened the door for Mason Turner.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
— With the win, the Colonels improve to 2-5 overall on the season while McNeese falls to a 5-2 mark.
— On the mound, southpaw reliever Joe Taylor composed the most impressive outing of the night as he locked down his second save of the season, striking out four while surrendering no runs, zero hits and just two walks across 3.0 innings of work. Meanwhile, fellow relief pitcher RHP Peter Holland (1-0) notched his first win of the year behind 1.1 frames on the mound, giving up no runs, hits or walks while setting down a pair of batters on strikes.
— Notably, sophomore RHP Nick Heckman put together a competitive start in the game’s opening four stanzas, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with a trio of strikeouts.
— Outside of Tarver’s grand slam, five other Colonels garnered hits on the night, including both junior Dane Simon (three) and redshirt sophomore Nathan Tribble (two) posting multi-hit performances.
— As for Tarver, the grand slam may signal the end of the redshirt senior’s early-season slump, as the stalwart first baseman entered the contest a rough 1-of-18 batting across the opening six matchups.

UP NEXT
The Red & Gray wrap up the Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Mardi Gras Classic with a rematch against McNeese the evening of Monday, Feb. 24, first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Didier Field.

STAY SOCIAL
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