NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans' four-run first was all the run support
Bryan Warzek needed as the left-hander tossed a three-hit gem in 8.0 shutout innings. The Clifton Park, N.Y. native improved to 4-2 in the 8-1 victory over the Demons. Nathan Jones (4-6) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs in 6.0 innings. The University of New Orleans (26-30, 14-16 Southland) clinched the No. 8 seed of the Southland Conference Tournament with a 8-1 game one win and 10-4 setback in game two to Northwestern State University (33-21, 18-11 Southland) Saturday afternoon at Maestri Field.
Orynn Veillon and
Scott Crabtree went yard in the game one win and the duo combined for five RBI.
Pearce Howard hit a solo shot in game two and
Jay Robinson collected two hits in each game.
GAME ONE
The Privateers got off to a bang following
Devin Morrill's great play to end the top half of the first.
Collin Morrill went oppo and
Owen Magee recorded a single to put runners on first and second.
Collin Morrill came around to score on Howard's infield single and NSU throwing error to make it 1-0 UNO. Veillon drove the first pitch he saw past the left field fence for his fourth home run of the season to extend the Silver and Blue lead to 4-0.
Warzek battled out of trouble in the third and in the fourth inning, set a program record with the 512
th strikeout of the season, the most by a Privateer pitching staff.
Warzek continued to post zeros and in the sixth, Crabtree blasted his first home run as a Privateer to make it 6-0 UNO. Robinson doubled prior to Crabtree's at-bat.
The Privateers were patient and tacked on two more in the seventh. In the inning,
Beau Bratton extended his reached base safely streak to 26 games with a walk.
Warzek was dominant and the Privateers took game one 8-1 over NSU.
Collin Morrill, Howard and Robinson collected two hits apiece.
GAME TWO
Northwestern State threatened in the first, but a liner to Magee turned two to end the inning. In the second, the Demons scored to take a 1-0 lead but a heads-up play turned the second double play as Howard hit Crabtree on the cutoff to gun out the runner trying to advance to second.
The Demons scored five runs in the fourth – the damage coming on the three-run home run - to take a 6-0 lead. In the bottom frame, UNO cut the deficit with two runs.
Continuing to chip away, Howard's two-out solo shot made it 6-3 in the fifth. In the sixth, Robinson doubled again and scored on Crabtree's double that bounced off the wall.
The Privateers ultimately fell 10-4 in game two and will head to Sugar Land as the No. 8 seed to battle top ranked Sam Houston State University Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Bratton ended the season on a 27-game reached base safely streak and a hit in 25 of those 27 games.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow
@Privateers_BSB on Twitter,
@Privateers_BSB on Instagram, like
/PrivateersBSB on Facebook and subscribe to the
PrivateerAthletics YouTube channel.
