NEW ORLEANS ? Troy center fielder Chad Watson hit a two-out RBI single in the 11th to help the Trojans split a doubleheader following an 8-7 win over New Orleans on Saturday at Maestri Field.
Watson hit a line drive off UNO reliever Mats Mattson (1-1) that took a high hop in front of Privateer second baseman Justin Edwards ? allowing Steven Felix to score from second base and help Troy (14-10, 3-5 Sun Belt Conference) avoid a doubleheader sweep.
UNO (9-15, 4-7) won the first game 13-10.
Felix, who entered the game hitting just .221, went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, and Charley Williams went 3-for-5 with three RBIs to lead Troy. Michael Precise also added three hits, including a solo home run.
Ryan Eden had two hits for the Privateers, who managed just nine hits overall and had just one in the final five innings.
Jeff Green (3-1) got the win for Troy after tossing four hitless innings of relief. The right-hander did allow one run but struck out six. Josh Storm pitched a scoreless 11th to collect his fourth save.
“We didn't make plays down the stretch,” said UNO head coach Tom Walter. “In the last three innings, we had too many plays that hurt us. (Green) did a good job of locating his fastball down in the zone, but we needed to have some better at-bats as well.”
UNO jumped out to a 4-0 lead ? keyed by a three-run first inning. Nick Schwaner homered in his third straight game after a hitting a towering two-run shot in the opening frame.
But Troy got back into it with three home runs in the middle innings that helped the Trojans cut the margin to 6-5 after six.
UNO added a run in the seventh to make it 7-5, but the Trojans got single runs in the eighth and ninth off Privateer closer Donnie White to tie it up.
Felix got a two-out rally started in the 11th with a bunt single and moved to second on a balk ? setting up the go-ahead hit.
UNO tried to come up with a two-out rally of its own in the bottom of the inning after pinch-hitter Jerad Comarda laced a double to right-center field. Storm, though, got Tyler Sanford to ground out to short to end it.
The teams combined for five home runs in the second game and eight for the doubleheader.
The two teams will play the rubber game of the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
