Box Score
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (4-10, 0-1 Southland) started fast but relinquished an early lead in a 6-3 loss to the Sam Houston State Bearkats (14-4, 1-0) in the re-opening of Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark on Friday night.
The Privateers struck fast in the first inning. After
Samuel Capielano led off with a single and was bunted to second,
Reese Kanter was hit by a pitch. That set up
Hezekiah Randolph who drove a 2-0 fastball from Bearkats starter Tyler Eppler over the left field wall to give the Privateers an early 3-0 advantage.
That lead would be short lived as Sam Houston State scored two runs in the third before tying the game at 3-3 in the fourth on an RBI single by Colt Atwood. The Bearkats took the lead for the first time in the fifth when Anthony Azar led off the frame with a solo home run to give Sam Houston State a 4-3 lead.
"We get the lead and I don't think we know how to act. Our pitching was good enough to keep us in the ballgame but when you make mental mistakes and you don't make adjustments with the bat, that kills you," said Head Coach
Ron Maestri.
The Bearkats would add a run each in the sixth and seventh. Both runs came off of Privateers relievers who inherited runners.
Hunter Medine allowed an inherited runner to score off an RBI sacrifice fly from Atwood. In the seventh, Luke Plucheck hit an RBI single that scored Carter Burgess who was the lone inherited runner by
Raymond Winter.
Winter wound up finishing off the game, throwing the final 2.1 innings for the Privateers while allowing three hits and not being charged with a run. "Ray's going to be alright. I think after that first game, he's trying to overthrow. He's got to stay within himself. He did a good job tonight, and we're going to need that from him," said Maestri.
Alan Scott closed out the game for the Bearkats by throwing the final 2.1 innings. Scott struck out the side in the ninth around a one-out single allowed to Capielano. The win went to Eppler, moving him to 4-1 on the season.
Capielano went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot.
Reese Kanter had two hits, and also reached base on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. The Privateers starting 5-through-9 hitters went hitless in 18 at-bats.
The two teams will play a doubleheader starting tomorrow at 2 p.m. because of the threat of rain on Sunday.
