EDINBURG, Texas ? The University of New Orleans scored six runs in the second inning to help the Privateers to an easy 11-2 win at Texas-Pan American on Saturday.
T.J. Baxter had a triple and drove in four runs, and Joey Butler had three hits and two RBIs as UNO (19-9) won its 11th game in 13 outings.
Jeff Lanning added two hits, including his seventh home run of 2008.
Bryan Cryer (6-1) continued his brilliant season by working seven innings and surrendering just one run on seven hits. The senior right-hander struck out three to put him alone in second place on the UNO career list with 286 strikeouts.
Matt Shepherd (2-2) got the loss for the Broncs (9-19). The right-hander, who entered the game with a 0.98 ERA, gave up nine hits and nine runs in 3 1/3 innings.
“The key with Shepherd is getting him to pitch out of the stretch,” said UNO head coach Tom Walter. “He only throws two pitches, a fastball and a change-up, and he really seemed to struggle with his change-up out of the stretch.”
The Privateers effectively put the game away in the second. Tyrone Wethers got the scoring going with an infield RBI single before Butler followed two batters later with a run-scoring single to right field.
With the bases loaded, Baxter followed with a three-run triple off the right-field wall ? scoring Mark McGonigle, Wethers and Butler. Baxter scored on a sacrifice fly from Johnny Giavotella.
Lanning led off the third inning with a solo home run before UNO got two more runs in the fourth to make it 9-0.
Cryer cruised from there, allowing just three baserunners during innings two through six. UTPA finally got on the board in the seventh on an RBI single by Andrew Perez, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles overall.
UNO will try for the three-game sweep at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
