MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ? The University of New Orleans baseball team upped its win streak to eight in the opener of a doubleheader on Sunday before dropping the nightcap, as the Privateers split a doubleheader at Middle Tennessee.
UNO (8-3, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) rode the arm of Bryan Cryer in an 11-5 win in the first game, but MT (8-2-1, 1-1) exploded for 21 hits to hand the Privateers a 16-11 defeat in Game Two.
The scheduled three-game series was shortened to two due to poor weather in Murfreesboro this weekend.
Jeff Lanning led the Privateer offense by going 4-for-7 with two home runs on the day. The junior transfer went 3-for-3 in the second game and scored three runs. Ryan Eden went 6-for-11 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
Nathan Hines hit three home runs and had eight RBIs to pace the Blue Raiders. He had two round-trippers and five RBIs in the second game.
Cryer (3-0) gave up just two hits and struck out eight during six innings of work to lead UNO in Game One. The senior right-hander, who tossed eight shutout innings in Tuesday's win at Tulane, allowed just one run and worked around three walks.
The Privateers got the offense going in innings three through five, combining for 10 runs during the stretch to put the game away. Lanning tallied a two-run home run, and Eden and T.J. Baxter had two RBIs each during the run.
Baxter finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Kenneth Roberts (1-1) got the loss for MT, which scored four runs in the final three innings off UNO reliever Cory Myers.
The Blue Raiders carried the offense to the nightcap. MT had a seven-run third inning, though UNO helped the cause with a pair of errors. Down 11-5 in the sixth, the Privateers fought back with four runs ? keyed by a three-run home run from Joey Butler.
But MT responded with a five-run seventh thanks to home runs by Hines, Bryce Brentz and Zach Dean.
The two teams combined for nine home runs on the day ? seven in the second game.
MT's Jordan Alvis (2-0) got the win in Game Two after giving up six hits and five runs (three earned) in five innings of work. Right-hander Stephen Whalen (1-1) got the loss after surrendering nine runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings.
UNO returns home for 6:30 p.m. contest on Wednesday against Southern Mississippi at Maestri Field.
