Late Rally Comes Up Short, Privateers Baseball Falls to McNeese

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NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans baseball team (18-13, 4-7 Southland) tried to make a late rally, but was left with too much to do in a 7-3 loss to the McNeese State Cowboys (17-11, 9-5) on Saturday at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
 
The Privateers entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 7-1. Aaron Palmer led off the frame with a double and Samuel Capielano collected his third hit of the day, a single to put runners on the corners. Dakota Dean drove in a run on a ground out to first, but that put UNO down to their final out. Hezekiah Randolph dropped in a bloop RBI single.
 
Kyle Bracey then hit an infield single to push the Cowboys into the pen. McNeese State called on centerfielder, Ricky Ramirez with two on and two outs. Chaz Boyer drove a line drive to right field on the first pitch that Lewis Guilbeau was able to track down and put away to preserve the win.
 
"They got some big hits," said Coach Blake Dean. "We had more hits than they did, but looking down the box score we only had one extra base hit, which isn't going to do very much for you. These guys pitch out of situations and play very good defense."
 
The Cowboys got out to an early lead in the first as they did on Friday. A lead-off double by Ramirez was followed by a strike out and a ground out. With two away, Joe Provenzano made a late break for second and an errant throw that went to shallow center allowed Ramirez to score. Lewis Guilbeau followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
 
UNO formed a response in the bottom of the first after Aaron Palmer and Samuel Capielano each hit singles to lead off the game. Dakota Dean plated the first run on an RBI sac fly to center, but the Privateers weren't able to generate any more runs despite loading the bases later in the frame. UNO stranded 12 runners on the day.
 
McNeese State starter, Bryan King was able to settle in and retire the next eight batters in order. King ran into trouble in the middle innings, but stranded two runners by inducing a fly out in the fourth and got out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth on a ground out to first. King went six innings and scattered eight hits to pick up the win.
 
"This pitching is the best I've seen yet," said Dean. "They throw the ball really well, but we left the bases loaded twice and nobody got a big hit. If you want to win ball games like this then somebody has to have a two-out hit and get it done in a clutch situation."
 
UNO out-hit McNeese State 13-12 on the day, but only had one extra base hit. The Privateers also committed three errors, including two in the eighth inning that helped bring in two Cowboys runs. The game was the 15^th this season in which UNO had 10 or more hits.
 
Capielano led the offense with three hits in five at-bats. Palmer was 2-for-4 with two runs while Hezekiah Randolph and Chaz Boyer each collected two hits. Dean was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Riley Hodge went seven innings and Keaton Brewer threw the final two frames.
 
The Cowboys were led by Lewis Guilbeau's 3-for-5 day with two RBIs and a run. Ramirez was 2-for-4 with a run and Cameron Toole drove in two runs and had two hits. Zach Rider threw 2.2 innings as first call out of the pen and struck out four.
 
The series concludes on Sunday at 1 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.
 
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