Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (3-4) split a rain delayed doubleheader with the Texas Southern Tigers (3-7) on Tuesday night at Wesley Barrow Stadium.
The Privateers took the first game of the doubleheader 4-3 after rallying from an early two-run deficit.
Hezekiah Randolph hit a solo home run that represented the game-winning run.
Seth Laigast picked up a two-inning save after retiring all six batters he faced. Laigast struck out Samuel Terry to end the game.
New Orleans took a 1-0 advantage in the first, but fell behind after giving up three runs in the third. Texas Southern had four hits in the frame, with three of those not leaving the infield.
Chris De Leon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game. The Tigers pushed in front after Zach Howell reached on an error. Luis Armas hit an RBI infield single to put Texas Southern ahead 3-1, but Privateers starter
Nick Halliday recovered to induce a fly out to end the frame.
New Orleans rallied to tie it back in the fourth. After
Zane Pitzer singled and stole second,
Brian Dixon drove him home with an RBI single. Two straight singles by
Chaz Boyer and Sam Capielano loaded the bases to help set up the tying run.
Zach Liberto hit a grounder to third that was mishandled by Jag Gordaya and allowed the tying run to score.
Randolph had a two-hit night and drove in two runs. The Privateers were able to get enough at the plate despite stranding nine runners through the first six innings.
Alex Smith pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Halliday who picked up his second win in as many starts.
Darius McClelland picked up the loss despite pitching 4.2 innings while allowing just one run out of the pen. Marquis Webb had the lone multi-hit game for the Tigers by going 2-for-3 and also stealing a base.
The Privateers left 10 runners on base in a 3-1 loss to the Tigers to close the doubleheader that was halted for nearly an hour due to rain. New Orleans squandered an early opportunity by leaving the bases loaded in the first.
Blake Prest had a strong start on the mound, but gave up the first runs in the fifth inning of the second game. After Sayvon O'Neal drew a one-out walk and stole second, he scored after Jerry Ford hit an infield single and
Zach Liberto committed a throwing error allowing O'Neal to cross. A Luis Armas RBI single pushed the Tigers lead to 2-0 after five innings.
The Tigers added a run to their advantage on a solo home run by Samuel Terry that chased Prest after 5.1 innings pitched.
Mitchell Cohen came in and finished off the sixth out of the bullpen, and the Privateers got their first run at the plate in the bottom half on the second home run of the night by Randolph.
With the eighth inning starting,
Christian Cale made his 2014 debut appearance and threw three pitches before the game was delayed due to rain. After a 55-minute delay, the game resumed with
Chase Martin finishing off the eighth. The Privateers pen allowed no runs in 3.2 innings of relief while allowing just two baserunners.
Ryan Rios picked up the win to move to 2-0 on the season. Felix Gomez came in and closed down the ninth for his first save. After allowing a lead-off walk, Gomez got a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play to end the game for Texas Southern.
The Privateers will take on Indiana State in a three-game series, which starts Friday night at Zephyr Field. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
