NEW ORLEANS - Every Sunday afternoon in the Sun Belt, the story has
been the same. The University of New Orleans baseball team suffered a
loss to one of their conference rivals.
This Sunday would continue that chain of events as the Privateers fell
for the sixth straight Sunday against a Sun Belt foe, losing to Florida
International 7-5 after opening the weekend with consecutive wins.
With the score tied at five in the top of the ninth, the Golden
Panthers got a lead off single by Junior Arrojo, who advanced to second
on a Corey Lozano sacrifice bunt. Three singles in a row followed
putting across two FIU runs to provide the final score.
David Burch took the loss to drop to 2-1 on the season for UNO (25-13,
9-8 Sun Belt).
Stephen Whalen got the start for the Privateers allowing
eight hits and three runs in six innings of work.
James Lajiness improved to 2-0 on the season for FIU (13-29, 6-12)
after throwing 5 1/3 innings of four-hit, two-run ball. Lajiness took
the ball from the starter, Jorge Ramos, who threw 3 2/3 innings,
allowing three runs on four hits while walking three before being
chased out with the bases loaded.
The Privateers were on the wrong side of a 2-0 ball game before scoring
a run in the third and two in the fourth. A
Nick Schwaner two-run home
run in the fifth would cap the scoring on the day for the home team.
Schwaner finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored in addition to
the two-run blast.
FIU tied the ball game up at five apiece in the top of the seventh on a
Raimy Fuentes two-run home run before the Golden Panthers put across
two in the ninth to take the game.
The Privateers will next take the field on Tuesday when they make the
short drive down I-10 to Baton Rouge, La. to take on Southern in a
non-conference contest.
