Nunez, Melvin split pair in Rice Capital

Crowley, La. –  Freshman Eli Woodard recorded his third consecutive mound victory on the season against no losses, and battery-mate Evan Rohlfs went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles on the day, as Nunez Community College won the second game of doubleheader from the John Melvin University Varsity on a pleasant Saturday afternoon at Miller Stadium.

The Oak Forest product has now pitched 18.1 consecutive innings in his last 4 appearances without allowing an earned run, while recording 21 strikeouts over that stretch.

In the afternoon opener, former Pelican Dylan Jimenez’s third inning homer proved the winning hit as the Millers held on for a 4-3 victory in the game that proved entertaining, and ending in the top of the seventh inning on the strangest of double plays.

GAME 1 – JOHN MELVIN 4 NUNEZ 3 (7 innings)

The Pels loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first but failed to score as JMU starter Gavin LeBlanc struck out the final 2 batters. The home team then plated the game’s first run in the bottom half on a lead-off hit batter and three consecutive walks, before Nunez started Andre Roux settled in and likewise struck out the final 2 batters of the frame.

The Millers then grabbed a 3-0 lead in the second inning on Trevor Durr’s line drive double to the wall in left that scored a pair of runners who had reached on a walk and hit-by-pitch.

The Pelicans next tied the score at 3-3 with their only runs of the game in the top of the third after 3 walks loaded the bases with one out. Roth John then drove a hard-ground single into left to plate lead runner Dorien Jackson with the first run, with the next pair being forced home as LeBlanc plunked both Evan Rohlfs and Matthew Cody, with each of those coming on 1-2 pitches.

Jimenez then launched his deciding blast in the bottom of the third, a no-doubt laser over the right-centerfield wall, after which the game settled into a scoreless pitching duel between LeBlanc and Roux over the next 3 frames. Carson Dearing then relieved Roux to start the sixth and got the side out on a pair of groundouts and strikeout around a 1-out single.

Drama then ensued in the top of the seventh as Jayce LaCava led off with a walk and then stole second with one-out. Noah Detillier then popped a fly ball down the right field line which JMU right-fielder Andrew Ashby caught up with nicely just in fair territory, with the ball landing in his glove but then becoming immediately dislodged as his momentum carried him into the right-field wall in foul territory. LaCava, after waiting to see if the ball was caught, then moved to third as Detillier reached second with what he thought was a double. However, the plate umpire ruled it a legal catch for one out, after which the base umpire called LaCava out on appeal for failing to tag, thereby completing the unusual double-play to end the game.

The game featured a combined 18 free passes – 12 walks and 6 hit batters – with most of those occurring in the early run-producing innings. JMU reliever Kole Sonnier, who had been called in from his shortstop position to pitch the seventh, picked up the save.

Score By innings – Sat 3/16 Game 1

Nunez –  003 000 0  –  3  4 0

John Melvin –  121 000 x  –  4  3 0

Adr Roux, Dearing (6) and Rohlfs.

LeBlanc, Sonnier (7) and Durr.

W – LeBlanc. L – Adr Roux. S – Sonnier.

2B – LaCava, Durr.   HR – Jimenez.

GAME 2 – NUNEZ 5 JOHN MELVIN 2 (7 innings)

Nunez took their first lead of the day in the top of the second as Rohlfs lined a double, his first of two in the game, both down into the left-field corner, with one out. Cohen Veron then reached on a slow roller to third, with Rohlfs scoring and Veron taking second as the throw to first sailed out of play. Aidan Lambert then drove a hard-ground single into center to move Veron to third, who next raced home on Ben Harris RBI-groundout. However, the Pels gave those runs right back in unearned fashion the bottom half on a 2-out throwing error that plated a pair of runners who had each reached earlier in the inning on a pair of singles and advanced into scoring position on a walk.

The Pelicans then scored the eventual deciding runs in the fourth as Rohlfs led off with his second double, and next scored on Veron’s line single to center. Then after a strikeout, Harris walked to push Veron to second, and Jackson followed with a line single off the right field wall that just missed getting out, with Veron scoring and Harris eventually reaching third after having to wait to see if the ball would be caught. JMU starter Peyton Ford then struck out the next 2 batters to prevent further damage in the inning.

Now staked to a 4-2 lead, Woodard proceeded to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half as the Millers started the half-inning with 3 singles, but the stalwart right-hander was able to retire the next 3 batters on a strikeout, pop-out and ground-out.

Nunez then got an insurance run in the seventh as LaCava drove a 1-out triple to the wall in deep right-center, and then after a strikeout, raced home on Detillier’s clutch hard-ground single up the middle. Owen Forbes then closed out the game for the Pels with 3 groundouts, giving him a win and save in his last 2 mound appearances.

Score By innings – Sat 3/16  Game 2

Nunez –  020 200 1  –   5 11 1

John Melvin –  020 000 0  –   2  7  1

Woodard,  Forbes (7) and Rohlfs.

Ford, Blanchard (6) and Durr.

W – Woodard.  L – Ford.  S – Forbes.

2B – Rohlfs 2.   3B –LaCava.

GAME NOTES:

In addition to Rohlfs, LaCava was the only Nunez player to record 2 extra base hits on the day to cap off a 2-for-6 day that also included 2 walks. For JMU, Jimenez went 3-for-5 on the day with 3 RBI’s.

For the Pels, today’s opener was the second consecutive game between the teams played in Crowley where the winning hit in a losing effort was delivered by a familiar face. Back on March 11, 2023, former Nunez 2022 offensive MVP Landon LeBlanc delivered the winning hit for JMU in the most previous game played in the mill town, also a 4-3 decision.

The Pelicans and Millers still have 4 games left to play against each other in 2024, with 2 more twin-bills scheduled on Thursday March 28 in Crowley and Thursday, April 18 in Chalmette. The Pels are 2-and-2 versus the JMU Varsity and 2-0 against the JV in the current 10-game season series.

Today’s games were played at Miller Stadium, which is a former minor league ball park that served from 1948 to 1957 as the home field of the Crowley Millers of the old Evangeline League, which also included teams from Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, Houma, and Lafayette, among others.

SCHEDULE CHANGE, NEXT UP:

Monday’s scheduled doubleheader with between Nunez Community College and  Spring Hill College in Mobile has been postponed due to wet grounds caused by Sunday’s heavy rains which made Sims-Galle Field unplayable for Monday.  The games will be rescheduled for either later this week or for later in the season.

In either event, the Pelicans will open conference play this weekend with a 3-game series against Delgado Community College at Noel Suarez Stadium in Chalmette.  The teams will start with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23 conclude with a single game on Sunday, March 24.  Starting times both days are 1 PM.  Nunez students, faculty, and staff admitted free with Nunez ID.