Box Score UNO-GSU Box Score
GRAMBLING, La. – An eighth inning run by Grambling broke a deadlock at four to give the Tigers their third straight victory, a 5-4 result over New Orleans on Saturday afternoon.
Brandon Kiser doubled to lead off the eighth inning for GSU (7-13), advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Dionte Mandeldove single. The resulting tally provided the final score.
UNO (4-19) had its chance to tie the game in the squad's ninth and final at-bat of the day.
Jonathan Coco went 3-for-4 in the contest, including a lead-off single in the ninth. Coco was lifted for pinch runner
Dan Perkins, who was caught stealing.
Chaz Boyer matched Coco with a 3-for-4 effort, including a single with two outs in the frame before being picked off to end the game. The last out handed the save to Tigers' relief pitcher Zach Moreau, who wiggled out of the jam in the ninth – his lone inning of work.
Prior to the final innings of the contest, the Privateers struck first for a pair of runs. Boyer doubled to lead off the game with
Zach Liberto adding a single in the next at-bat. Boyer plated the first run of the contest on a GSU error with Liberto rounding home when
Reese Kanter sacrificed to left field.
The Tigers' knotted the score with two of their own runs in the bottom of the first before UNO moved ahead 4-2 in the fourth. Coco factored into the scorign again, singling in
Andre Damiens and
Morgan Barger. GSU once more tied up the contest with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, capitalizing on a Privateer error in the frame.
Privateer starter
Alex Smith went seven innings for the fourth time on the season, allowing four runs – two earned – on five hits.
Raymond Winter (2-1) was charged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth.
T.J. Murphy (2-1) received the win for GSU after allowing a pair of hits to UNO in the eighth in relief of Edvarda Matusevicius, who departed after seven innings.
The teams will turnaround for a Sunday doubleheader at 12 p.m. Unlike most three-game, two-day series featuring Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) schools, the Tigers' media relations department reports that Sunday's doubleheader will feature a pair of nine inning contests.
NOTES
Chaz Boyer's three hits tied a career-high for the freshman, matching a similar effort against Baylor (3/16)… Boyer also stole his team-leading 11
th base in the contest and has stolen at least one base in consecutive games for the third time this season…
Jonathan Coco has posted hits in his last four games, hitting 6-for-13 over the current stretch…. The three hits by Coco matched a career-high for the sophomore, who totaled three hits in three games last year.
