Stevens' HR lifts Nicholls past ULL

With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Seth Stevens swung at the first pitch he saw and launched a monster walk-off home run over the right field wall to lift the Nicholls State University baseball team past a tough Louisiana-Lafayette squad, 5-4, Tuesday night.
The win marks the first time since 1996 that the Colonels (33-16-1) have swept their season series against the Ragin’ Cajuns (31-20) and increases the Dirty Red’s current winning streak to nine games.
The anything-but-ordinary night began with the Nicholls seniors wearing caps and gowns for a pregame graduation ceremony with University President Dr. Bruce Murphy.
Only minutes after the conclusion of the event, thunderstorms and strong lightning forced a postponement of the contest. The Louisiana-Lafayette squad retreated to their dry bus, while the Colonels were forced to act quickly and cover the field with a tarp, battling torrential downpours in the process.
Nicholls would change into new, dry uniforms, and after a 90-minute weather delay, the game began with lighting still flashing ominously from a safe distance over the centerfield wall.
The Ragin’ Cajuns took advantage of a two-out error by the Colonels in the first inning to open the scoring with a run.
Stefan Trosclair notched a double off the wall in left-center, advanced when Tyler Girouard reached on an error and came home on a wild pitch.
Louisiana-Lafayette added to its advantage with a solo home run from Greg Davis in the second.
Nicholls cut the Ragin’ Cajun lead in half with a run in the third. Justin Holt doubled down the leftfield line, took third on a Darius Knight sacrifice bunt and scored on a Kyle Reese single that sailed over the head of the Louisiana-Lafayette shortstop.
The Colonels threatened in the fourth, putting runners on second and third with no outs, but the Ragin’ Cajuns clamped down on defense, recording consecutive outs to escape the inning unscathed.
Louisiana-Lafayette pushed its advantage to 4-1 in the fifth when Dylan Butler launched a solo shot over the leftfield wall and Kyle Clement homered to right.
Nicholls threatened again in the bottom of the frame, putting runners at the corners with one out, but for a second straight inning, the Ragin’ Cajuns shut down the Colonels’ attempt at a rally.
The third time was the charm for Nicholls as the team scored three runs in the sixth to tie the ballgame. Christian Correa walked and advanced to third on a monster double from Berwick High alum David Zorn off the wall in right-center.
After a pitching change, Joey Morales singled to right-center, scoring the pair, and advanced to second on the throw home.
A Holt ground out allowed Morales to take third before a Knight ground out sent him in.
After a scoreless seventh and eighth innings, Stevens stepped to the plate in the ninth and absolutely crushed the game-winner.
It was a chess-match affair as Louisiana-Lafayette tossed six pitchers and the Colonels countered with five.
Marc Frazier started for Nicholls, allowing four runs — three earned — on five hits with five strikeouts through five innings.
In relief, Zach Thiac, Cole Stapler and Jason McDonald combined for scoreless innings and allowed just one hit.
Robbie Petty (4-1) earned the win, throwing the final two frames and fanning three batters without giving up a hit.
Dylan Moore (3-2) took the loss, tossing 2/3 of an inning and surrendering Steven’s walk-off homer.
Among Louisiana-Lafayette’s pitchers were Berwick alum Chris Charpentier, who pitched two innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits with two walks, one hit batter and three strikeouts.
Morales led the Colonels offensively with a 1-for-3 night, two RBIs and a run scored. Zorn finished 3-for-4 with a run in one of his most productive offensive outings this season.
After being named both Southland Conference and Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association Hitter of the Week, Reese turned in a 2-for-4 outing with an RBI, extending his current hitting streak to 16 games.
Knight hit 2-for-3 at the plate, and Stevens finished 1-for-5, but came up big when his team needed it most.
Six Ragin’ Cajun batters registered a hit, but none turned in a multi-hit outing. Clement, Davis and Butler each notched a solo home run.
The wind typically blows in towards home plate at Ray E. Didier Field but was uncharacteristically gusting out at a high rate of speed nearly the entire night, playing a significant role in the number of long-distance hits.
Nicholls will conclude its regular season with a three-game conference series at Northwestern State this weekend. The Colonels can finish as high as No. 2 in the conference standings with a sweep of the Demons. All three matchups will be broadcast live on KTIB 640 AM.
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