Thanks to 13 runs and 13 hits in the first and second innings, the Colonels blasted Louisiana-Lafayette 15-5 Tuesday at Didier Field.
The quick scores by the Colonels (13-8) put ULL (5-15) in a position it could not recover from.
“When you are on the road, you have to score first and protect your pitcher. We didn’t do that and Nicholls did. You have to tip your hat off to Nicholls because they got after it for two innings,” Tony Robichaux, ULL head coach, said.
“We could not recover and when we did, the ballgame was over.”
With 18 total hits, the Colonels enjoyed a large cushion throughout the remainder of the game.
“Everything just clicked tonight. We put up some big numbers early, and the guys just really came out and exploded in the first and second innings.”
In the first innings, senior shortstop Chuck Hickman starting the Colonels scoring frenzy with an unearned run.
With the bases loaded, the Colonels added four runs to their 1-0 lead when junior infielder David Tano hit a grand slam home run that gave the Colonels a 5-0 lead.
“It was pretty exciting because it was my first home run in Division I. We were just trying to come out and exploded in the first and second innings,” Tano said.
B.D. Parker, Colonels head baseball coach, said Tano has come up huge for the team since transferring from Dodge City Community College in Miami, Fla.
“He had a big night at UNO last week for us. He has really been playing well and has been outstanding at third base this season. Tonight, he got himself a good pitch to hit, and he hit it off the scoreboard,” Parker said.
Junior pitcher Dustin Atkins (3-3) notched the victory for the Colonels. He struck out three and gave up seven hits with four runs in five innings pitched.
Senior catcher Mike Kelso, junior outfielder Tony Ruiz and senior infielder Jacob Carlson all scored after Tano’s home run that gave the Colonels a 6-0 lead in the first inning.
In the second, junior infielder Scott Wearne, senior outfielder Brad Dantonio, senior outfielder Bryan James, Carlson, Ruiz, Tano and Hickman all scored to increase the Colonels lead to 13-0 after two innings.
Despite giving up five runs to ULL, the Colonels were happy with the consistency and intensity they continued to display after going up 13-0.
“I felt we did a good job of maintaining our intensity right there. I think our guys competed at the plate and in the field all night long,” Parker said.
After giving up several runs to ULL, the Colonels would score only once more in the fourth and eighth innings of the game.
Tano led the Colonels by going four for five from the plate with five RBI’s on the night. Hickman went 4-for-6, Ruiz went 3-for-4 and Dantonio went 2-for-5.
The Colonels also enjoyed the hostile atmosphere the 734 Colonel and ULL fans in attendance created.
“We had a great crowd tonight. Our guys were really excited about having the chance to play a scheduled night game in front of our fans. Everytime we have a night game (at home), we have had rain and bad weather,” Parker said.
The Colonels will open up Southland Conference play this weekend in Huntsville, Texas when they take on Sam Houston State. The Colonels will play a double header on Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m. and wrap up the three-game series on Sunday, March 16 at 1 p.m.
“The Southland Conference stretch is a grueling one. Our conference is doing so well right now. It is going to be tough, but I like this club chances,” Parker said.