NEW ORLEANS ? Louisiana-Monroe left-hander Josh Lett tossed a complete game, and the University of New Orleans committed a season-high five errors as the visiting Warhawks completed a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win on Sunday at Maestri Field.
ULM leadoff hitter Jon Prevost went 4-for-5 with a run scored and two stolen bases, and Kyle Suire had two RBIs to help the Warhawks (12-4, 5-1 Sun Belt Conference) win their sixth straight.
UNO starter Bryan Cryer (3-1) got the hard-luck loss, as the senior gave up just one earned run in seven innings. The Denham Springs, La., product struck out seven.
Johnny Giavotella, Jeff Lanning and Nick Schwaner each had two hits for the Privateers (8-7, 1-4). UNO was swept in a Sun Belt series at home for the first time since losing three straight to Louisiana-Lafayette April 14 through 16, 2005.
Lett (3-1) frustrated the Privateers throughout ? scattering nine hits and walking just one. UNO recorded just one extra-base hit (Josh Vander Hey) and that was due to the right fielder slipping before he could attempt a catch.
“We were overly aggressive with (Lett) today,” said UNO head coach Tom Walter, whose team dropped its fifth straight. “He was missing the zone, and we were chasing his pitches. We wanted to do a better job of working counts and getting into their bullpen.”
Cryer faced his only real trouble in the first inning. After Prevost led off the game with a single, Ben Soignier followed with a single off Cryer, though the right-hander hurt himself by throwing the ball past Schwaner at first ? allowing both runners to advance a base.
Suire followed with a two-run double, but Cryer escaped further damage thanks to two strikeouts.
Trailing 3-0, UNO did not score until the sixth when the Privateers completed a successful double steal. Giavotella took second base, and T.J. Baxter raced towards the plate when ULM tried to get Giavotella.
The Privateers tried to get a two-out rally in the ninth, with Schwaner cutting the deficit to 3-2 with an RBI single to left. UNO had runners on first and second, but Lett finished off ULM's 3-0 weekend by getting Mark McGonigle to ground out to second base.
“I wasn't thrilled with our energy level today,” Walter said. “We didn't really come alive and have good at-bats until the seventh inning. We've got to maintain a good energy level for nine innings.”
UNO will travel to Alabama for a two-game midweek series on Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. on both nights.
