Nunez splits doubleheader with Southwest Mississippi

CHALMETTE – Sophomore Payton Cooper pitched six solid innings, Noah Detillier continued his blasting efforts at the plate, and the home team scored their final 8 runs without an outfield hit, as Nunez Community College took the opener of a twin-bill with Southwest Mississippi Community College by a score of 10-7 Tuesday evening at Suarez Stadium.

Later, the Bears grouped 9 of their 11 runs in two middle innings, while their pitching shut off several bases-loaded rallies, to take home an 11-4 victory in the nightcap.

Despite the Game 1 victory, the Nunez offense continued its frustration with men on base, leaving 26 runners on base, or an average of 2 per inning, over their 13 offensive innings this evening.  As an alternative, the Pelicans used small ball, coupled with an alert running game bolstered by 28 free passes (19 walks and 9 hit-batters) handed out by Bear pitching, to account for most of their scoring in the two contests.

GAME 1 –  NUNEZ 10  SW MISSISSIPPI 7  (7 innings)

Southwest greeted Cooper in the first inning by scoring 6 runs, 4 of those unearned, on 5 hits, an error, and a walk, before the resilient right-hander settled in to cruise through his last 5.1 innings, yielding just 2 hits and one run on a solo homer, while striking out 5 and walking just two to eventually qualify for the win.

The Bears scored in the top of the first on consecutive homers from Hunter Harrell and Braiden Jones, followed by a double, single, and 2-out throwing error that continued the inning at 3-0, with 3 more runs then scoring on a double steal and ex-Pel Matt Latino’s line double to left field.

Nunez started its comeback in the bottom of the second as Caleb Webb opened with a single to right, followed by Detillier’s 2-run homer over the centerfield wall.  Landon Manson was next hit-by-pitch and moved to third on Dylan Jimenez’ right-side ground-out and James Bendeck’s bunt single to third, next scoring on a wild pitch.  After Alex Crews was hit-by pitch and Aidan Lambert walked, Collin Zeringue was plunked to force in Bendeck to make the score 6-4 after 2 innings.  The Pels left bases loaded on a pop-out.

The home team then took the lead the next inning as Manson reached on a wind-blown infield pop that dropped in for a single, Jimenez was hit-by-pitch, and Bendeck walked to fill the sacks.  Manson then scored on Ashtyn Ellis’ fielder’s choice grounder, Ellis stole second, and Crews dropped a bunt single to plate Bendeck, with Ellis wheeling around third to also score on the throw to first. The Pels again left the bases loaded on a strikeout to leave the score at 7-6.

After Southwest tied it at 7-7 in the fifth on Jones’ second long-ball of the game, Nunez plated the deciding run in the bottom half as Ellis led off with a bunt-single back to the mound and Crews was hit-by-pitch, with both runners then moving up on a passed ball, and Ellis scoring on Zeringue’s RBI fielder’s-choice-safe back to the mound.  The inning ended on a bases-loaded double-play grounder.

The Pels then  picked up a couple of insurance runs in the sixth as Manson led off by drawing a walk, Jimenez was again plunked, and Bendeck again bunt-singled to re-load the bases.  Manson and Bendeck then scored on a pair of passed balls around a force-out of Jimenez at the plate. The inning ended at 10-7 on a strikeout with runners on 2nd & 3rd.

Freshman Cole Bordes then took the mound for Nunez and pitched a scoreless 7th inning to pick up the save.  Detillier led the Pels at the plate, going 2-for-4 with those 2 RBI’s.

                 Southwest Miss – 600 010 0 –  7   8  0 

                                 Nunez – 043 012 x – 10  8  1 

                  W – Cooper   L- Drennan   S – Bordes

         Hinnant, Drennan (3), Whitaker (6) and Thoms.

                        Cooper, Bordes (7) and Manson. 

                            2B – McHenry, Latino.

                     HR – Harrell, Jones 2,  Detillier.

GAME 2 –  SW MISSISSIPPI 11 NUNEZ 4  (7 innings)

The Bears raced out to a 7-0 lead, scoring 2 in the second as a double and 2 hit-batters filled the bases, after which the runs scored on a ground-out and throwing error, and then following up with 5 in the third on a single and double followed by 2 hit batters and Marcus Jackson’s bases clearing triple down into the right-field corner, with Jackson later scoring on the back end of a 2-out double steal.

Down 7-0, and after leaving the bases loaded in the first on a strikeout, the Pels struck for 3 in the third as Lambert and Zeringue led off with walks and Detillier followed with a bunt-single in front of the plate to load the sacks.  Manson then lined a single to center to plate Lambert, with Zeringue next scoring on Jimenez’ pop single into short left.  Ellis then scored Detillier with a frozen-rope liner to right. With the sacks still full and none out, the Pels left-em’ loaded again after a pick-off at first, fielders-choice-out at the plate, and groundout to leave it 7-3 after three frames.

Southwest got their final runs in the fourth as they went station-to-station 6 straight times on a hit-by-pitch, 2 walks, and 3 singles, with the final run scoring on Sam Crowe’s sacrifice fly to left to make it 11-3.

Nunez freshman reliever Ira Austin was then able to bear down and stymie the Bear bats the rest of the way, from that point pitching the final 3.2 innings by giving up no runs, 2 hits, no walks, and recording 6 strikeouts.

But his Pel teammates could manage just one more run, that coming in the fourth as Jimenez plated Lambert, who had walked and moved up on a Detillier line single to center, with a line single to center of his own.   But those key runners were the left stranded after an inning-ending strikeout.

Nunez left the baes loaded twice more in the game, in the fifth on a fly-out and in the sixth on a strikeout.

Detillier again led the Pels at the plate, going 3-for-4 to cap off a 5-for-8 day, with Jimenez also stroking 2 hits in the nightcap.  Jackson had a big game for the Bears, going 3-for 3 with 4 RBI’s.

                   Score By innings – Tue 2/28  Game 2                                     

                 Southwest Miss – 025 400 0 –  11 10  0 

                                 Nunez – 003 100 0 –   4   8  3 

                         W – Dierman   L- Adr Roux  

             Cuevas, Dierman (3), Netto (5), Tillman (7)

                 and Walther.    Adr Roux, C Smith (3),

                             Austin (4) and Rohlfs. 

                              2B – McHenry, Walther.

                             3B – Jackson.  SF – Crowe.         

NEXT UP / SCHEDULE CHANGE:

The Pelicans will return to the Westbank this Friday morning, March 3 to play Coastal Alabama North Community College in a single game at the Alario Sports Complex in Westwego.  (This date was originally scheduled as a doubleheader at Tulane).  First pitch from Segnette Field will be 11AM.

The teams will then turn right around on Saturday, March 4 and be joined by Jones (MS) College for a 3-way round robin at Suarez Stadium in Chalmette.  Saturday’s schedule will be as follows:

        11 am – Coastal Alabama North at Nunez

          2 pm – Coastal Alabama North vs. Jones College

          5 pm – Jones College at Nunez

Please note early start times each day.  Nunez students, faculty, and staff will be admitted free both days with Nunez ID.