Scelfo, Broach lead Tulane past Nicholls, 11-2

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 8, 2008

THIBODAUX, La.–Junior second baseman Anthony Scelfo went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI, and freshman right-hander Robby Broach struck out a career-high nine batters in a 6.0-inning start, as the Tulane University baseball team powered past Nicholls State, 11-2, Wednesday evening at Ray E. Didier Field.

For the second consecutive night, all nine positional starters posted at least one hit, including two-hit performances by junior catcher Steve Moritz and freshman third baseman Rob Segedin. Moritz went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a sacrifice bunt while Segedin was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. With the win, Tulane improves to 20-8 on the year. Nicholls State, meanwhile, falls to 5-22.

“Robby Broach was really, really good early and he needed to,” Tulane head coach Rick Jones. “You can throw the lefty’s (NSU starter Justin Breaux) out against us. He’s always good against us and he was against us. Steve Moritz gave us a great lift. He had two hits with a home run and a big sac bunt.

“Anthony Scelfo had a big night for us too. The two home runs are obvious, but the at-bat where he stayed in the count, got the ground ball and beat it out was a huge momentum-turner for us at that time. Defensively, we were sound and I thought we pitched well out of the bullpen.”

Tulane led 3-1 after six innings, but blew the game open with a three-run seventh. The Green Wave added another four runs in the eighth – two on Scelfo’s second two-run shot of the ballgame – and added single tally in the ninth courtesy of a Segedin RBI single.

Broach (4-1) earned the victory after allowing one run on four hits and two walks. Freshman right-hander Nick Pepitone went the next two innings for Tulane, giving up an unearned run in 2.0 innings of no-hit baseball, and junior closer Mason Griffin struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to clinch the victory.