JONESBORO, Ark. - The rain came and went delaying the opening pitch by 20 minutes.
Rain aside, nothing was going to delay the University of New Orleans bats as the Privateers churned out 25 hits in a 26-3 win over Arkansas State on Sunday afternoon in a game that was called after seven innings due to the "mercy rule" in place for Sunday contests.
With the win, UNO (29-13, 12-8 SBC) swept a SBC series for the first time since April 13-15, 2007 when the Privateers took three at Middle Tennessee. The Privateers had entered the previous four series finale with a chance to sweep, before finally knocking down the door this weekend with a series sweep in their fifth attempt.
Stephen Whalen (4-3) took the win for UNO allowing just one hit in five innings of work as the Indians dropped to 16-29 overall and 5-16 in the SBC, losing their eighth straight game. The lone hit Whalen allowed came during the second inning.
Jeff Lanning led the hit parade with a 4-for-6 performance at the plate. Designated hitter
Josh Vander Hey and his replacement
Alan Harris had matching 3-for-3 performances while
Joey Butler also had three hits.
Johnny Giavotella,
Mark McGonigle,
Tyrone Wethers,
Alan Harris and
Nick Mitchell had two hits apiece for UNO.
Switching to the second spot in the lineup, Giavotella adjusted quickly sending a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall in the top of the first. Vander Hey followed two batters later matching Giavotella with his 10th home run of the season.
The 10 home run club got another member an inning later when Lanning followed suit with a home run over the left field wall to extend the UNO lead to three. Three consecutive Privateers reached base after the Lanning blast, chasing ASU starter Jordan Kimball (2-3) after just 1 1/3 inning of work allowing six runs on five hits.
Indians relief pitcher Nick Lambert struggled after taking the ball from Kimball. The left-handed pitcher allowed the first six batters he faced to reach base. Highlighting the offensive showcase for the Privateers, who extended their lead to 10-0, was a two-run single to right by T.J Baxter and a three-run home run to right by
Nick Schwaner.
Whalen allowed the first two batters on base including a wind-aided triple by Brandon Eller to begin the bottom of the second before retiring the next three, but not after ASU scored a run.
UNO would get back on the board in the third inning when Vander Hey singled to left scored Wethers from second.
Ryan Eden came across the plate on an error by the second baseman and Vander Hey scored for the third time in three innings on a Lambert wild pitch as the Privateers took a 13-1 lead to the bottom of the inning.
Three more runs were tacked on in the top of fourth on Andy Ferguson, ASU's third pitcher of the game, who was pulled for Jordan Torr after one inning of work. Torr kept the Privateers off the board in the fifth before Mitchell, Butler and Lanning each hit doubles with two outs adding three more runs pushing UNO's lead to 19-1 in the sixth.
The Indians would score their second run of the game when Drew Benes scored from third on a Cody Pace ground ball to second.
Finishing up their scoring in the ninth, UNO scored seven runs in the final frame with Lanning closing out the Privateer scoring with a three-run home run to right, his second of the game. ASU would register their finally tally on a Cade Baxter sacrifice fly, scoring Ryan Hudgins.
The Privateers next take the field on Tuesday at Southern Miss with the game slated for a 6:30 p.m start.
Privateer Notes...the winning margin of 23 runs was the most since a 22-0 Privateer win over Jackson State on Feb. 26, 2000, representing the fourth largest margin of victory (school record is 30, accomplished twice)...the 23 run margin eclipsed the previous ASU record losing margin of 21 runs set in a loss to Murray State in 1977...UNO's 25 hits represented the third best hitting performance in school history, three behind the school record of 28 in the second game of a doubleheader against UT-Pan American in 1988...the 26 runs represent the most runs scored against the Indians since 1956 when Washington (Mo.) scored 27.
