Dolphins sweep season series from Pelicans with win Monday

Chalmette –  Delgado Community College pounded out 15 hits and used three big 4-run innings to roll past Nunez Community College Monday evening at Suarez Stadium in the Pelicans’ final home game of 2023.  The story was pretty much the same as it has been all season between the two teams, with the Pels unable to generate any consistent or sustained offense against the talented mound staff and solid defense of the Dolphins.

Nunez did, however, come out swinging, just as they had done on Saturday before the rains came, and jumped on the scoreboard right away in the bottom of the first inning.  Noah Detillier led off with a frozen-rope double off the centerfield screen, and then starting-pitcher and designated-hitter Payton Cooper followed with a hard-ground single to center with Detillier stopping at third.  Collin Zeringue then lined a 2-RBI double to right that short-hopped away from a hard-charging Josh Alexander to score both runners.  Zeringue then moved to third and then scored on consecutive groundouts by Landon Manson and Alex Crews to put the Pels up 3-0.

But the home team would not score again, except for Manson’s solo homer over the centerfield wall leading off the Pelican sixth, as Dolphin starter Logan O’Neill settled in nicely after the first inning to shut out the Pelicans over the next 4 frames, before handing it off to Tyler Velino in the sixth.

Delgado had earlier taken the lead for good in the third as Alexander drew a walk that was followed by Jacob Singletary’s round-tripper, his second of the series and fifth in his last 8 games against Nunez. Brock Slaton next followed with a solo blast to right to tie the game at 3-3.  The Dolphins then got one more in the inning on a pair of walks followed by Giovanni Licciardi’s single.

The visitors then plated four more runs in a noisy top-of-the-fourth with a rally that featured 2 hard-hit singles, a double and a little good fortune.  A one-out walk to Singletary followed Alexander’s slow-rolling infield single.    The Pels then thought they were out of the inning after Nunez left-fielder Dylan Jimenez snagged Slaton’s hit-and-run liner and fired back to second to double-off Alexander. 

After the teams had retired to their respective dugouts, the call at second was reversed after an umpire conference on the infield, and the frame continued.  What then followed was a pair of laser-shot singles around Cole Stromboe’s double, and the Dolphin lead was suddenly extended to 8-3.

Fast-forward to the top of the ninth where the Delgado, now leading 8-4 after Manson’s clout, first plated a run on an infield error, Licciardi’s double, and Cade Pregeant’s single.

At this point, Nunez sophomore Colby Smith entered the game in relief of Cole Bordes, who lasted 5.2 innings in a yeoman’s relief effort. Then after Bryan Broussard’s RBI-single, Smith proceeded to strike out the next 2 batters, but then a dropped fly ball on Slaton’s deep high-drive to the warning track in right let in the final 2 Dolphin runs, before Smith recorded his third strikeout of the inning.

For the Dolphins, Saturday-starter Carson Lore pitched the 7th and 8th, with Kaile Levatino closing it out in the ninth.

Manson led Nunez at the plate with that homer and a pair of doubles, with Aidan Lambert going 2-for-4.  Delgado was paced on offense by Licciardi with a 3-for-4 night that included a pair of 2-baggers.

               Delgado –  004 400 004 – 12  15  0                        

                  Nunez –  300 001 000 –   4   9   2                       

         O’Neill, Velino (6), Lore (8), Levatino (9)

          and Singletary.    Cooper, Bordes (3),

                    C Smith (9) and Manson.  

                    W – O’Neill,     L – Cooper   

        2B – Licciardi 2, Stromboe, Detillier, Manson 2,

            Zeringue.   HR – Slaton, Singletary, Manson.   

NEXT UP:

The Pelicans will have a bye from conference action this weekend before closing out the regular season in two weeks on the road against Baton Rouge Community College.  Delgado will host BRCC next weekend in league play.