LAKE CHARLES – Sophomore
Matt Gallier came off the bench and stepped up to the plate for the McNeese State baseball team Sunday afternoon as he blasted a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 11
th inning to help lift the Cowboys to a series-clinching 5-4 victory over Nicholls at Cowboy Diamond.
The Pokes (24-20, 14-10 SLC) were able to score a series victory over the Colonels (24-16-1, 11-10) for the first time since the 2012 season. McNeese had been swept by its in-state rivals the two previous years.
"There is a lot of desire and a lot of want to and expectations to be successful here at McNeese," said head coach
Justin Hill. "This team has changed that and in conjunction with last year's squad. We went out and played hard every game and now there is that expectation of success. It's a different burden and we have taken our lumps but we strive to keep playing our best game at the end of the season."
With the score knotted up and a pitcher's duel controlling the latter part of the game, Gallier made his way to the plate, took one look towards the pitcher and took a swing on the first pitch. After hesitating for just a few seconds, Gallier trotted towards home plate after watching the ball sail over the left field wall and helped carry the Pokes to the series win.
"I had a feeling that it was going over but I wanted to watch and make sure," said Gallier. "I was just trying to get on base and hit the ball hard. Our coaches always tell us to be prepared and be mentally ready and that's what I tried to do and it worked out for me today."
The homer was Gallier's fifth of the season.
Gallier entered the game as a pinch hitter for the Pokes in the bottom side of the sixth inning and delivered an RBI-single with no outs and the bases loaded to help cut the lead to a 4-3 score. The Pokes tied the ballgame in the latter part of the inning following an RBI-hit from senior
Andrew Guillotte that knotted the score at four runs apiece.
"That was big for Matt (Gallier) today," said Hill. "We were able to put him in a big moment right there with the bases loaded and he comes in and puts a great swing on it. He just continued to do well throughout the game."
Gallier led the way offensively for McNeese, who pounded out 11 hits in the contest, as he batted 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Guillotte and junior
Billy Sommers each recorded a pair of hits and an RBI in the ballgame while senior
Connor Lloyd also knocked in a run.
"We swung the batters better than the score indicated today," said Hill. "We hit some balls with power and right at them but Nicholls was able to make some great plays in the outfield. We were fortunate to have the last at-bat today."
Sophomore right-hander
Collin Kober (4-2) turned in another performance worthy of Stopper of the Year status as he earned the victory after throwing 4.2 innings of relief, tied for the longest outing of the season, while retiring 14 of the 15 batters he faced during the game and having allowed just one hit. He fanned five batters during the session. Kober now owns a 0.86 ERA through 21 appearances and 42.0 innings of work this season.
The Colonel's ace closer Stuart Holmes (2-1) was charged with the loss after having worked the final two innings and surrendered a run on two hits.
Nicholls got out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning that was highlighted by leftfielder Justin Smith's two-RBI double. The Colonels extended their lead to four runs in the top of the fifth frame.
McNeese responded with a pair of runs in the bottom side of the fifth frame following a sacrifice-RBI effort from Lloyd and a double from Sommers to cut into the lead with a 4-2 score.
The Cowboys will be back in action Tuesday when they make the trip over to Baton Rouge for a mid-week contest against Southern University. The first pitch is set for a 6 o'clock start.
McNeese 5, Nicholls 4 (Apr 26, 2015 at Lake Charles, La.)
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Nicholls............ 000 310 000 00 - 4 9 3 (24-16-1, 11-10)
McNeese............. 000 022 000 01 - 5 11 1 (24-20, 14-10)
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Pitchers: Nicholls - Sinibaldi, Justin; Petty, Robbie(6); Holmes, Stuart(9) and
Correa, Christian; Tucker, Alex. McNeese - Stremmel, Ethan; Prejean, Cole(5); Kober, Collin(7)
and LaRosa, Garrett; Toole, Cameron.
Win-Kober, Collin(4-1) Loss-Holmes, Stuart(2-1) T-2:41 A-775
HR MCN - Gallier, Matt (5).
Weather: 80; Cloudy; SSW 2 MPH
Sinibaldi, J faced 4 batters in the 6th.
