Dolphins take two from Pelicans in Chalmette

CHALMETTE –  Delgado Community College used a big third inning Sunday in winning the completion of Game 1 of Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader, and then later enjoyed a brilliant, 3-hit, complete-game shut-out mound performance from Lakeshore’s Chris Olivier in Game 2 to register a pair of victories over Nunez Community College at Suarez Stadium.

With the wins, the Dolphins clinch both the Region 23 regular season title and the weekend series with the Pelicans.

GAME 1 – DELGADO  5   NUNEZ  3  (7 innings)

The game had begun on Saturday and was later suspended due to rain after 2 complete innings with the Pelicans leading 2-0.  The Pels had scored those 2 runs in the bottom of the second inning on consecutive line-drive doubles to centerfield by Alex Crews and Dylan Jimenez, and then one-out later, on James Bendeck’s line single to center.

When play resumed on Sunday in the top of the 3rd inning, the Dolphins wasted no time taking the lead with a 3-run rally that started with a hit-by-pitch and single, after which Bryan Broussard sacrificed the runners into scoring positions and reached safely himself on a fielding error. Josh Alexander then singled the first 2 runs home with Broussard moving to third, who then tagged and scored on Brock Slaton’s sacrifice fly to left to make it 3-2 Dolphins.

Delgado then scored the deciding run in the top of the sixth on Jhonnatan Ferrebus’ solo homer to center, but Nunez countered in the bottom half with their only run of the day on consecutive line-shot singles by Payton Cooper and Collin Zeringue, followed by Landon Manson’s sacrifice bunt to move the runners up to 2nd and 3rd.  Crews then plated Cooper with an RBI-groundout to first.  But Dolphin closer Kaile Levatino, who had taken the mound earlier in the inning after the 2 singles, got a strikeout to end the inning to leave the score at 4-3.

Delgado then got an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a strange inside-the-park homer.  Jacob Singletary’s blast to the deepest dimension of the field in left-center appeared to everyone, including the field umpire and Pelican defense, to leave the ballpark.

Slaton followed with a hard smash back to the box that knocked Nunez reliever Ira Austin off his feet.  As Austin was being checked after the play, it was during that mound visit that it was discovered that the ball on Singletary’s smash had actually caromed off the wall and had become lodged between the fence and an outfield sign hanging on the wall; however, it was at that point too late to go back and invoke the ground rule.

Meanwhile, Austin shook off the injury, but was relieved by Andre Roux, who ended the inning on a groundout and strikeout.

Turner Toms began the day in relief of starter Carson Lore who had pitched on Saturday. Toms completed the middle 3 innings with just the one run allowed on 3 hits to get credit for the victory.

Levatino wrapped up the final 2 frames for Delgado, retiring all 6 batters he faced to earn the save, giving him 4 victories and 3 saves in his last 7 appearances against Nunez dating back to last season.

Levi Brewster started on the hill for the Pelicans, finishing Saturday allowing no runs or hits and striking out 3 of the 7 batters he faced.  But after trying to return on Sunday, he was relieved by Austin after giving up those 3 runs, 2 of unearned variety, in the third.  Austin then settled things down through the next 4.1 innings, striking out 5 while yielding just those last 2 runs.

                     Delgado –   003 001 1 –  5   7  0                      

                        Nunez –   020 001 0 –  3   6  3

               Lore, Toms (3), Levatino (6) and Singletary.

            Brewster, Austin (3), Adr Roux (7) and Manson.

                    W – Toms.   L – Brewster.  S – Levatino.

                               2B – Crews, Jimenez.  

                   HR – Singletary, Ferrebus.    SF- Slaton.   

GAME 2 – DELGADO  5   NUNEZ  0  (7 innings)

The Dolphins started the scoring in the third as Ferrebus singled in Josh Alexander who had earlier walked.  The Pelicans then threatened in the bottom half, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch.  But Olivier was able to pitch out of the jam on a strikeout and fly-out, and the Pelicans never threatened again the rest of the day.

Meanwhile, the Dolphin freshman right-hander appeared to get stronger over the final 4 frames, registering 7 of his eleven kayos and retiring 7 straight at one point during that stretch.

The Dolphins had broken the game open with 4 runs in the top of the fifth, opening the frame with 2 walks and a single to load the sacks with none out.

Roux, making his second appearance of the day in relief of starter Landon Cortez, then got a strikeout for the first out. After an infield error on a potential inning-ending double-play grounder scored the first run, Giovanni Licciardi dropped a pop-fly double just inside the right-field line to plate 2 more runs. The fourth next scored on Cade Pregeant’s RBI-groundout to make the final score 5-0.

                    Delgado –   001 040 0 –   5   7  0                      

                       Nunez –   000 000 0 –   0   3  1

                            Olivier and Singletary.

           Cortez, Adr Roux (5), C Smith (7) and Manson.

                       W – Olivier.   L – Cortez.

                           2B – Licciardi, Cooper.       

LAGNIAPPE

Series Notes: Nunez committed four errors on the day while the Dolphins played errorless ball.  Zeringue and Cooper each recorded two of the nine Pelican hits over the two days, while Ferrebus lead Delgado with four hits on the weekend.

Singletary’s inside-the-park-homer: When the ball neared the fence and disappeared from view, our left and center fielders converged at the wall, which is 25 feet high, they took their eyes off the ball as they checked their distance from the fence, and when they looked up the ball was gone. We in the third-base dugout heard the distinct sound of ball hitting metal, but there was no carom back onto the field. During the mound visit, our centerfielder asked the man behind the fence if he had retrieved the ball, and the man said that no ball came over the fence. He then noticed the ball stuck between the fence and the sign, so our fielder jumped up and rattled the fence and the ball fell out. We then wondered if maybe it was a ball that had been lodged previously during a BP or something, but we always check the fence before the game, and based on the testimony of the guy behind the fence at that exact spot, we are certain that it was in fact the ball that Singletary hit.

Levatino’s last 7 appearances versus Nunez:

DATE PLACE INNINGS SCORE
03/26/22 Noel Suarez 3 Win 8-6
03/27/22 Noel Suarez 2 Save 7-6
04/15/22 Kirsch-Rooney 2 Save 6-3
05/08/22 Pete Goldsby ** 7 Win 10-9
03/26/23 Kirsch-Rooney 1 Win 2-1
03/28/23 Kirsch-Rooney 2 Win 7-6
04/16/23 Noel Suarez 2 Save 5-3

**Region 23 tournament

Region Update:
Delgado’s conference record is 10-0 with 4 games left to play
Nunez’s conference record is 3-7 with 4 games left to play
BRCC’s conference record is 1-7 with 6 games left to play

NEXT UP:

The Pelicans and Dolphins will complete the 3-game conference series on Monday evening with a 9-inning single game starting at 6 PM from Suarez Stadium.  Nunez students, faculty, and staff will be admitted free with Nunez ID.