LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana – The University of New Orleans baseball team began its season-long 11-game road swing on Thursday evening against McNeese, losing the first game of the Southland Conference series 5-0.
New Orleans (19-16, 8-8 Southland Conference) held McNeese (24-9, 14-2 Southland Conference) scoreless in all but one of their at bats, surrendering five runs off five hits in the second stanza while limiting the Cowboys to just three hits in their other seven plate appearances.
"We couldn't get anything going offensively," head coach
Blake Dean said. "They had that one big inning early on and we were never able to cut into the deficit. Obviously it was not [Shawn] Semple's greatest outing of the season, but I thought he competed well and did a good enough job. Hunter [Medine] did a good job coming out of the bullpen, but their guy did a great job of keeping us off balance and preventing us from getting anything going on offense."
UNO created its best opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the seventh frame, as junior third baseman
Owen Magee got on base with a two-out single, advancing to third off a single from junior right fielder
Tristan Clarke in the ensuing at bat before a groundout ended the rally.
Junior right-handed pitcher
Shawn Semple got the start for the Privateers on the mound, allowing five runs off six hits in four innings of work with five strikeouts and four walks. Senior southpaw
Hunter Medine came in and pitched a season-high three innings of relief, holding McNeese scoreless while matching his season-best with two strikeouts. Junior right-handed pitcher
William Griffin came in to throw the final inning, logging a scoreless frame.
The Privateers scattered six hits in the loss, with Clarke posting a team-high two hits while senior shortstop
Aaron Palmer, Senior first baseman
Dakota Dean, Magee and sophomore center fielder
Orynn Veillon all contributed one hit for the Privateers.
For McNeese, Austin Sanders threw a complete game, keeping the Privateers scoreless while striking out four batters and walking one. Dustin Duhon posted a team-high two hits and two RBI for the Cowboys, while Robbie Podorsky steeling four bases.
Game two of the series takes place on Friday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m., with the series wrapping up the following day at 3:00 p.m. UNO returns to First NBC Ballpark on Friday, May 5, when they begin a SLC series with Houston Baptist with first pitch slated for 6:30 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 clickingÂ
HERE.
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