Box Score NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (10-24, 2-14 Southland) gave up a six-run fifth inning as part of a 10-3 loss to the Southeastern Lions (25-13, 10-6) on Thursday at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
The game started promising for New Orleans who scored three runs in the first two innings.
Jonathan Coco's two-out double in the first punched the first run across. New Orleans got two more runs in the second on an RBI infield single from
Zach Liberto and a two-out RBI triple by
Mitchell Alexander to give the Privateers a 3-0 lead.
New Orleans squandered an opportunity when
Hezekiah Randolph reached third with no outs on a double and a subsequent wild pitch. Randolph was stranded there, and Southeastern used that momentum to put up two runs in the fourth.
The Lions took the lead for good on a six-run fifth. The Lions sent ten batters to the plate in the inning and collected seven hits while chasing
Alex Smith. New Orleans turned to
Raymond Winter who allowed both inherited runners to score before ending the inning.
Rain came in the middle innings and Smith was trying to get his footing on the mound. "It was muddy, but it was muddy for the other pitchers. He's too worried about his cleats and you've got to toughen up. The other kids are pitching and you can't let things like that affect you," said Head Coach
Ron Maestri.
Southeastern added solo runs in the eighth and ninth including a home run from Andrew Godbold, his fourth of the season. The Lions collected 13 hits while New Orleans pounded out 11. Sean Kennel came out of the pen and picked up the win after allowing just two hits in the final 4.1 innings.
"We jump out 3-0. Today we get 11 hits, no errors but we don't get the pitching. Alex has to win an inning. We just have to get over those humps. We did everything we wanted to do those first two innings. I thought it was going to be a good night, but all of a sudden we fall asleep," said Maestri.
Randolph went 3-for-5 on the night. Alexander drew two walks around his RBI triple in the second and Liberto put up a 2-for-4 performance from the ninth spot in the order.
Nick Morgan added two hits and scored a run.
The two teams will face off in Game Two of the series on Friday at 6 p.m.
Nick Halliday will start for New Orleans and Andro Cutura will take the ball for Southeastern.
