Pitching dominates as Nunez splits doubleheader with Co-Lin

PITCHING DOMINATES AS NUNEZ, CO-LIN, SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER

WESSON, MS – Andre Roux and Luke Conerly combined for the first 9-inning shutout in team history, and Alex Roux clubbed a homer and double, as Nunez Community College won the opener of a Thursday afternoon/evening doubleheader over Copiah-Lincoln (MS) Community College by a score of 6-0 at Sullivan Field.

In the process, Andre Roux became only the second Nunez pitcher all-time to pitch seven consecutive shutout innings in one game, joining then-freshman and fellow starter Landon Cortez, who accomplished the   feat twice in 2023, pitching complete-game shutouts against Bishop St and Spring Hill, both on the road in Mobile.

Meanwhile, Alex Roux, whose triple later in Game 2 left him only a single short of hitting for the cycle on the day, led the Pelicans at the plate, reaching base 4-of-9 times altogether, with those 3 lead-off extra base hits each igniting run-scoring rallies for his team.

In the nightcap, the Wolves got a similarly impressive outing from starting pitcher Connor Pittman, and then held off a late Pelican rally to register a 6-4 victory and secure the split.

GAME 1 – NUNEZ  6   COPIAH-LINCOLN 0 (9 innings)

Game 1 started off in frustrating fashion for the Pelicans as they left 6 runners on base in scoring position through the first 3 innings.  However, they were able to plate 3 runs to open the game’s scoring in the top of the third.  Roux led it off with his tall round-tripper to left, which was followed by Noah Detillier’s double to the gap in right-center. Roth John followed with a hard-ground single to left, after which Colin Cure drove a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Detillier. Then after a pair of walks loaded the bass, Blake Moss (2-for-4, double, 2RBI) scored John with another single to left to put the Pels up 3-0 before leaving the sacks full again on a pair of strikeouts.

Nunez then added one in the fifth as Cohen Veron drew a 2-out walk and Moss doubled him all the way home with a deep fly-ball double to the wall in center.

The Pelicans finally got some clutch 2-out hitting in the ninth as Roux led off with his double and  Detillier (2-for-3, double, 2R, 2W) followed with a bunt single.  But then after a pair of strikeouts, Dorien Jackson pulled through with a line single to right to plate Roux, after which Veron drove a scorching grounder back through the box that caromed high off second base to chase Detillier home and put the Pels up 6-0.

Andre Roux gave up only 2 hits while striking out 11 over his 7 frames, including the side in the fifth. Conerly next held serve over the last 2 innings in a non-save situation, walking none and striking out 3, and allowing just one baserunner on a weak infield single.

For the Wolves, reliever Caleb Flynn struck out 8 over his 4 innings of work.

Score By innings – Thu 2/15 Game 1
Nunez – 003 010 002 – 6 9 1
Co-Lin – 000 000 000 – 0 3 0
Adr Roux, Conerly (8), and Veron.
McKenzie, Harrington (3), Flynn (6) and
Wilson. W – Adr Roux. L – McKenzie.
2B – Detillier, Moss, Alx Roux, Bankston.
HR – Alx Roux. SF – Cure.

GAME 2 –  COPIAH-LINCOLN 6  NUNEZ 4 (7 innings)

Pittman held the Nunez offense in check through the first five innings, striking out 10 and allowing only an unearned in the top of the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Wolves took advantage of a Pelican defensive gaffe that extended bottom of the second inning as a trapped runner was allowed to escape back to first on an attempted steal. Sam Cook then followed with a homer to left to put the home team up 2-0.

Then in the third, the Pels were one strike away from getting out of the inning with no damage, as after 3 straight singles to open the inning, a line-out and force-out at the plate left-em loaded with 2 outs, but Christian Cameron was then able to muscle a 2-2 pitch into left for a double to plate two.

The Pelicans were then able to get one back in the top of the fourth as John lined a 2-out double to center, and then was able to score on a 2-base throwing error on Jackson’s infield grounder.  But the Wolves got that one back in the bottom half on a single, walk, and pop single into right.

Now down 5-1, the Pels cut that margin in half with 2 in the sixth as Roux’s one-out triple to deep right center was followed by walks to Detillier and John to fill the sacks.  Jackson then lined a double inside the line in right to plate the first 2 runners and leave John at third.  That’s when Pittman bore down to strike out the next 2 batters and close the inning at 5-3.

The teams then traded runs, with Co-Lin getting theirs in the bottom of the sixth as an infield error, single, and hit-batter loaded the bases with one out.  Nunez reliever Ira Austin (0.2 IP, no runs or hits) then entered and stuck out the next 2 batters, but a run was able to score on a swinging strike-3 passed ball on the first kayo.

The Pels were then able to get the tying run to the plate twice in the top of the seventh as Buddy Micheu led off with a line single to center, and one-out later Matthew Cody drove a hard grounder into left field. But then a fielder’s choice grounder forced Cody at second, with Micheu wheeling all the way home on the errant throw on the back-end of the double-play attempt to make the score 6-4.  The game then ended on a pop-fly to right.

Cole Bordes (3.1 IP, 5ER, 7H, 1W, 4K) got the start on the hill for Nunez.  Owen Forbes (2.0 IP, no ER, 3H, 0W, 2K) was next up for the Pels.

Jayden Duncan relieved Pittman in the seventh for the Wolves to get the save.  Tucker Jones (3-for-4) and Brentley Berry (2-for-3) led Co-Lin at the plate.

Score By innings – Thu 2/15 Game 2
Nunez – 000 102 1 – 4 6 1
Co-Lin – 022 101 x – 6 10 3
Bordes, Forbes (4), Austin (6) and Rohlfs.
Pittman, Duncan (7) and Cook.
W – Pittman. L – Bordes. Save – Duncan.
2B – Rohlfs , John, Jackson, Cameron.
3B – Alx Roux. HR – Cook.

NEXT UP:
The Pelicans will be off this weekend before hitting the road again next Friday, February 23 when they will complete the 4-game season series with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with a doubleheader on the Bulldogs’ Perkinston campus. Game 1 first pitch from Ken “Curly” Farris Field will be 3PM.