Seniors Lead Baseball In 8-3 Loss Against Southeastern Louisiana

BOX SCORE (PDF)

HAMMOND, Louisiana – The University of New Orleans baseball team continued its first Southland Conference series of the season on Saturday afternoon on the road against Southeastern Louisiana, losing 8-3 despite matching the Lions' hit total with eight.

Senior outfielder Dakota Dean led New Orleans (9-6, 0-2 Southland Conference) with a game-high three hits, matching his career-high, with a season-best three RBI. Overall, the senior trio of Dean plus infielders Samuel Capielano and Aaron Palmer combined for six of the Privateers hits, while Palmer drew three walks to go with his one hit.

"[Dean] is starting to get his confidence back," head coach Blake Dean said. "We have not been hitting the ball well the past couple games, and it is causing our team to be uncertain when they are in the batter's box. We can hit the ball, we just have to be smarter at the plate and work on rebuilding our confidence."

For the second-consecutive game, Palmer started things for the Privateers with a leadoff single in the opening inning. UNO got on the scoreboard first in the fifth innings, when a single to right field from Dean scored junior infielder Dakota Phillips from second base. The lead was short-lived, as Southeastern Louisiana (10-4, 2-0 Southland Conference) responded with a three-run home run in the bottom of the frame to take the 3-1 lead.

The Privateers managed to knot the score up at 3-all in the seventh inning off a double down the left field line from Dean to score Capielano and Palmer. In similar fashion to the fifth, SLU countered with another three-run blast, adding a fourth run to make it 7-3 heading into the eighth.

"We hit the ball better today," Dean said. "But every time we scored a run they responded with more runs to retake the lead. Warzek did a good job starting us off strong on the mound, but towards the end of the game Southeastern starting getting hits on our relievers which resulted in runs."

Sophomore left handed pitcher Bryan Warzek got the start for the Privateers, allowing three unearned runs off three hits in 5.1 innings with six strikeouts and five walks. Junior southpaw Matthew Gillis plus junior right handed pitchers Jarred Taylor and William Griffin combined to pitch the final 3.2 innings.

For Southeastern, Carlisle Koestler got the win after throwing the final 2.1 innings, keeping the Privateers off the scoreboard while striking out four batters and allowing a pair of hits. Taylor Schwaner paced the Lions on offense with two hits, both home runs, and six RBI.

The series returns to Maestri Field for the rubber match on Sunday, Mar. 12 with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. For tickets to future Privateers athletic events, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) and season tickets can be purchased over the Internet by clicking HERE.