Privateers Fall Behind Early, Blanked by Central Arkansas

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CONWAY, Ark. – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (13-29, 3-18 Southland) fell behind early and left a couple of opportunities on the table in a 5-0 loss to the Central Arkansas Bears (23-15, 13-8) on Sunday at Bear Stadium.
 
Shawn Semple went through a routine first inning to start the game for the Privateers. In the second, after retiring the first batter of the frame, Central Arkansas drew back-to-back walks. The next two batters in Logan Preston and Ty Tice delivered RBI singles to give the Bears an early 2-0 lead.
 
Semple allowed six walks through five innings, but was able to keep Central Arkansas off the board for the rest of his outing. New Orleans had their first big threat in the fourth with runners on second and third and two away. However, starter Riley Echols recorded a strikeout looking to end the inning.
 
New Orleans left multiple base runners aboard again in the sixth. A one-out single by Sam Carriere was followed by Preston Marsh's second hit of the day, a liner that went off of Echols. After being shaken up on the line drive, Echols remained in the game and recorded a ground out to finish off the inning.
 
The Bears broke the game open in the eighth. After loading the bases with nobody out, Darron McKigney came in and got a fielder's choice 5-2-5 double play to rack up two outs. Wesley Hoover then came up and struck a two-run double. Matt Anderon's RBi single drove in the final run of the game. The Privateers had runners on second and third with two out, but a ground out ended a complete game shutout for Echols.
 
Marsh collected two of the Privateers six hits on the day. Daniel Martinez pitched two scoreless innings as he was first call out of the pen. The Privateers were limited to just one run on the weekend and had only two extra base hits including a double in the ninth by Hezekiah Randolph.
 
Central Arkansas had seven hits scattered through the lineup as no Bears hitter recorded more than one knock. Echols walked one and struck out five for his first complete game shutout of the season. It was the fourth consecutive complete game for the Bears pitching staff.
 
New Orleans will next travel to Jackson State on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
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