NEW ORLEANS ? For the second straight day, it took a ninth-inning rally to get the win. On Saturday, though, the University of New Orleans baseball team was on the short end.
Middle Tennessee's Zach Dean hit a pinch-hit, two-run triple in the top of the ninth to lift the visiting Blue Raiders to a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Privateers at Maestri Field.
Dean hit a line drive down the right-field line off UNO reliever Donnie White (0-1), and MT closer Coty Woods worked a flawless ninth to help the Blue Raiders (8-2, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) even the three-game series at 1-1.
On Friday, UNO scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 4-3. But the Privateers could not duplicate the heroics on an afternoon where UNO used three pitchers ? all freshmen.
Joe Zimmermann tossed 6 1/3 innings and gave up just two runs before left-hander Ricky Ott got two big outs in the seventh inning to help UNO keep a 3-2 lead.
White recorded a 1-2-3 eighth inning and got the first out in the ninth before giving up two hits and a hit batter in the final frame.
UNO managed just six hits ? five singles ? and did not score a run after the third inning. Jerad Comarda had a two-out, two-run single in the third and was one of six different Privateers to record a hit.
UNO left seven men on base, including six in scoring position.
“Our pitching today was outstanding,” said UNO head coach Tom Walter. “Zimmermann threw the ball extremely well, Ott was huge for us and Donnie started off well but just made a few mistakes in the ninth.
“You can't score three runs and expect to win the ball game. We gave away some runs early, and when that happens, it can haunt you like it did for us today.”
Stuart Meinhart went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for MT, while Drew Robertson added two hits and scored a run.
Brett Wilson (2-0) got the final out in the ninth inning to get the win in relief of starter Kenneth Roberts, who went 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven.
With UNO leading 3-1 in the seventh, MT cut the deficit in half on an RBI double by Meinhart. Ott, though, helped the Privateers escape further damage by stranding Meinhart on third.
In the ninth, White retired the leadoff man before running into problems. Robertson singled to left field before pinch-hitter Justin Jones was hit by a pitch.
Dean then turned on a 1-2 slider from White and sent a line drive down the right-field line to score Robertson and Jones.
Woods, who allowed all three runs in UNO's Friday night comeback, got three straight outs to finish it off.
The two teams will conclude the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
