Martinez Picks Up Third Save, Privateers Baseball Holds Off Valparaiso

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NEW ORLEANS – Daniel Martinez picked up his third save of the season and the University of New Orleans baseball team (5-1) put up a three-run fourth inning in a 5-3 victory over the Valparaiso Crusaders (1-4) on Saturday afternoon at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
 
The Privateers broke open a 1-1 tie, which started when Hezekiah Randolph drew a one-out walk. Back-to-back singles by Kyle Bracey and Preston Marsh loaded the bases. Chaz Boyer then came up and ripped a double down the right field line that scored two runs. Jay Robinson followed with an RBI sac fly that pushed the Privateers lead to 4-1.
 
The game tightened back up in the seventh when Valparaiso's Shea Molitor smacked a double into the gap that chased Josh Clark home. That was the last batter Privateers starter, Riley Hodge faced. Hodge threw 6.1 innings and struck out seven batters while throwing 91 pitches.
 
Jarred Taylor came in and got two consecutive ground-outs to short, but Molitor was able to advance on both and cut the UNO lead to 4-3. The Crusaders successfully executed a bunt for a hit with Chase Dawson, but Taylor came back to strike out James Stea to strand the tying run on base and keep UNO in front.
 
It was Robinson's bat which came up huge again to help add an insurance run. With runners on first and second and no out, Robinson successfully sacrificed both runners over. Ryan Calloway then drove in a run on a ground-out to first which scored Marsh.
 
"That's the reason why Jay is in the lineup," said Coach Blake Dean. "He's executing everything we're asking him. He's catching the fly balls in the outfield, he's getting hits here and there, and executing bunts and hit-and-runs when we need him to. We still have to get those type of things done because we're still leaving too many runners on base."
 
Daniel Martinez came on for the ninth and retired the first two batters within five pitches. Martinez then had Dawson to an 0-2 count, but lost him to a walk as he missed the zone on the next four pitches. However, Martinez jumped ahead of Stea at 1-2 and finished him off with a strikeout swinging to preserve the victory.
 
"We're now winning those two and three-run ball games," said Dean. "Taylor came in and shut the door. Hodge pitched well, but he lost his competitive edge a bit in the seventh. Taylor and Martinez did a great job and that's what we need to have."
 
The game started with both teams trading a run in the first. Valparaiso got the scoring started when Nolan Lodden reached on a fielding error. He was later brought home on a Clark single to put the Crusaders on top 1-0. UNO had a response ready in the bottom of the frame when Aaron Palmer sliced an RBI single to right that brought home Samuel Capielano to tie it up at 1-1.
 
Hodge struck out seven batters over 6.1 innings and allowed three runs (two earned). Taylor and Martinez combined to shut out the Crusaders for the final 2.2 innings while striking out three batters. Marsh scored two runs and Capielano went 2-for-5.
 
Valparaiso got 3.1 innings of one-hit ball out of the pen from Trevor Haas in relief of starter, Ryan Fritze who was pulled after 4.0 innings plus a batter with eight hits and four runs (all earned) allowed. Clark went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Crusaders offense and added a run and an RBI.
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
 
Season tickets for the 2016 campaign are available for as low as $125 and single-game tickets start at $5. For additional information, contact the UNO Atheltics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or log on to the internet at http://www.unoprivateers.com.
 
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