Privateers Baseball Splits Doubleheader With Troy

GAME 1: BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
GAME 2: BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)

TROY, Ala.  – The University of New Orleans baseball team (18-9, 4-5 Southland) won the front end of a doubleheader and had a rally fall short in the second game. UNO won 10-6 in the first game and lost 9-6 in the second against the Troy Trojans (15-13, 3-6 Sun Belt) on Saturday at Riddle-Pace Field.
 
GAME 1
 
Shawn Semple was strong out of the gate for the Privateers and kept the Trojans lineup quiet. Troy had just one hit through the first six innings against Semple (4-1). Meanwhile, the Privateers offense scattered hits around against Troy starter, Grant Bennett who came in leading the Sun Belt among all starters in ERA.
 
"Shawn did a good job," said Coach Blake Dean. "His arm tightened up on him a bit, but we loosened it back up and he gave us a great outing today."
 
UNO got on the board first in the third inning when Hezekiah Randolph grounded into an RBI fielder's choice. The Privateers added another run in the fourth with two outs when Jay Robinson knocked in a run with an RBI single.
 
The Privateers really busted the game open in the final third. Still ahead 2-0, UNO scratched across three more runs in the seventh keyed by a two-run single from Randolph. Troy broke through in the seventh with two runs of their own though including a solo homer by Peyton Fuller. The Privateers turned their second double play of the game with Jarred Taylor on the hill to end the Trojans threat.
 
"We took some good at-bats against him (Bennett)," said Dean. "He did a great job of locating, but our guys put some good at-bats together. We took advantage of some miscues those guys had and we played the game well.
 
UNO put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth. Kyle Bracey came up with the big hit, a three-run homer to dead center for his fifth of the season. The Trojans scored four of their own in the ninth, but a fly out to center capped off the game in the Privateers favor.
 
Bracey and Randolph combined for seven RBIs. Aaron Palmer went 3-for-4 in the opener with three runs and two stolen bases along with an RBI. Robinson, Preston Marsh, and Dakota Dean added two hits each and UNO out-hit Troy 14-6.
 
GAME 2
 
Houston Mabray had a no-hitter going through five innings and the Trojans held off a late Privateers rally. Troy got the scoring started early with a three-run homer by Cameron Sanders in the first inning, which came with two outs.
 
The Trojans added four more runs in the middle innings on three homers. TJ Binder hit a solo shot in the fourth. In the fifth, Trevor Davis bolted a two-run homer and Joey Denison followed with a solo homer of his own. Troy hit six home runs between both games, which matched their season total.
 
"For us to be successful, our pitchers have to give us a chance," said Dean. "They had six homers on the day and that's not good enough. We've got to locate better and throw off-speed."
 
However, UNO started to work more counts and generate more traffic on the base paths. After breaking onto the scoreboard in the sixth when Ryan Calloway tripled and came around to score, the Privateers added five runs in the next two innings.
 
UNO had the bases loaded after Robinson drew a two-out walk and had the tying run in scoring position. A fly out recorded by closer, Corey Childress ended the frame though and Troy was able to add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. UNO tried to piece together one final shot, and brought the tying run to the plate but a ground out locked down the split.
 
"Mabray threw very well," said Dean. "He kept everything down, kept us off-balance and relied mainly on slider and change-up. I think he was throwing maybe one fastball an at-bat, but we got him off the mound and then we pushed late."
 
In the second game, Calloway, Samuel Capielano, and Chaz Boyer each had two hits. Boyer and Capielano had two RBIs a piece and Robinson went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Riley Hodge went 7.0 innings and took the loss.
 
Troy was led in the second game by Davis who homered twice. Binder was 4-for-4 and fell a triple short of the cycle. Denison was 3-for-4 with two runs and Childress recorded the final four outs for his fifth save of the year.
 
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