Privateers Baseball Outpaced Early in Loss to South Alabama

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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of New Orleans baseball team (18-11) fell behind by nine runs after the second inning and were shut out until the seventh in a 12-3 loss to the South Alabama Jaguars (22-8) on Wednesday at Stanky Field.
 
The Jaguars struck early for six runs in the first. A one-out double by Cole Billingsley was followed by two walks to load the bases. That set up Carter Perkins who singled in a pair of runs to put South Alabama on the board. An RBI sac fly from Brendan Donovan pushed the lead to 3-0. After Tanner Halstead singled through the left side of the infield, Ben Gann drilled a three-run homer.
 
South Alabama kept the early scoring outburst going in the second. A single and a walk started the inning and set up Drew LaBounty who doubled in a run. Danny Martinez hit an RBI sac fly and Perkins followed with an RBI ground out, one of four RBIs on the night. South Alabama led 9-0 after the second inning.
 
"It wasn't just hard contact," said Coach Blake Dean. "Once you score nine runs, that takes the fight out of a team and that's exactly what they did. They came out and knocked us out early. We walked too many people and if you play the game we played tonight, you'll lose 99 times out of 100."
 
UNO broke into the hit column in the fourth inning on an Aaron Palmer single and scattered six hits in eight innings against Randy Bell who picked up his first win of the season. The Privateers scored their only runs of the game in the seventh. After loading the bases with no outs, Chaz Boyer drove in a run on a ground out and Jay Robinson singled up the middle to bring in two.
 
Bell went to his off-speed early and often against Privateer hitters and struck out seven while issuing no walks. Bell came in with just 13.2 innings logged in six prior appearances (two starts). Avery Geyer pitched a scoreless ninth to cap off the game.
 
"I thought their starter had decent stuff and credit for moving the ball around, but it's hard to hit when you're down to nine," said Dean. "That changed the whole atmosphere and outlook of the game."
 
The Privateers used five pitchers on the night. Starter, Ryan Leone took the loss as he, Keaton Brewer, and Hunter Medine each logged two innings. Jarred Taylor pitched the seventh and Daniel Martinez threw a scoreless eighth. UNO pitchers issued 11 walks. Robinson drove in two runs and Dakota Dean had the only extra base hit of the night for UNO (a triple in the sixth).
 
South Alabama was led offensively by Travis Swaggerty who had three hits, two runs, and one of four stolen bases for the Jaguars. Perkins and Gann each drove in four runs while Danny Martinez drove in two. The Jaguars split the season series against UNO with the win.
 
The Privateers will start a three-game series against McNeese State at home on Friday. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
 
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 Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or click HERE.