Baseball Splits Doubleheader With Islanders, Wins Overall Series

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

NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans baseball team wrapped up its Southland Conference series with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday with a doubleheader, winning the first game in walk-off fashion 10-9 while falling in the series finale 8-4.

Between the two games, New Orleans (16-13, 6-6 Southland Conference) posted 27 hits, including a season-high 19 hits in the first game. Senior outfielder Hezekiah Randolph and junior infielder Owen Magee both posted five hits over the two games, with Randolph also logging five RBI and a home run. Senior infielders Aaron Palmer and Samuel Capielano each posted two hits in both contests for four total hits.

"I thought we played well," head coach Blake Dean said. "We did enough to win the overall series, but we looked flat in the final game and came up short of getting the sweep after winning the first two."

Trailing 8-9 in the ninth inning after allowing seven runs by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (10-19, 3-6 Southland) in the eighth inning, the Privateers scored a run in the ninth and one in the 10^th to take the second game of the weekend series. Junior catcher John Cable opened up the ninth frame with a single to center, followed by a single from junior infielder Owen Magee and a sacrifice bunt from Randolph to bring junior outfielder Jared McKay, who came in to pinch run for Cable, over to third base. Needing only one more base to tie up the score, junior outfielder Jay Robinson hit a sacrifice fly into right field to bring McKay home and send the game into extra innings.

After holding the Islanders scoreless in the top of the 10^th, UNO managed to load the bases off a single from Capielano, a double from senior infielder Dakota Dean and a walk for junior outfielder Tristan Clarke. Junior infielder Chase Crump came into pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out, drawing a walk to score Capielano and give the Privateers the 10-9 victory.

"We fought at the end of the first game," Dean said. "They competed well. Both sides made some fielding errors in the game but we found a way to win."

In the sixth inning of the first contest, UNO blasted two home runs sandwiching a walk to score five runs, with a RBI single from Magee earlier in the frame to make it six runs scored in the frame. Hezekiah hit the first home run, scoring himself, Magee and Cable, while sophomore outfielder Orynn Veillon hit his homer two batters later to score him and Robinson.

Sophomore southpaw Bryan Warzek got the start in game one, throwing seven innings with four runs allowed off five hits with seven strikeouts, while junior right handed pitcher William Griffin got the win after throwing the final two and third innings without allowing a run to score.

In the sequel, Corpus Christi scored five runs in the opening inning and led the entire contest. UNO responded with one run in the bottom of the frame and making it a one-run contest with three scores in the fourth, but a homerun by the Islanders in the fifth recreated a two-run cushion and ended the Privateers rally.

Freshman right handed pitcher Reeves Martin threw six innings in relief, allowing one run to score off six hits with one strikeout. Junior right handed pitcher Rafael Martinez got the start and the loss, allowing five runs off four hits.  

For Corpus Christi, Dalton Stark and Luke Marbach both posted five hits, while Lukas Hermanson recorded four RBI over the two contests. Chad Romere pitched in both games of the doubleheader, striking out seven Privateers over five innings.

The Privateers are back in action on Tuesday, Apr. 4, when they host cross-town rival Tulane in a midweek bout. 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.