SUGAR LAND, Texas – What a debut season for sophomore catcher
Beau Bratton. One of the biggest surprises of the season continued to come up big as the second team all-Southland Conference backstop found a gap for a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3. In the 10
th,
Cody Ducote's sacrifice fly was all the Privateers needed as No. 8 University of New Orleans (27-30) defeated No. 1 and #RV Sam Houston State University (38-19) 4-3 in extras Wednesday evening at Constellation Field.
The win advances the Privateers to the 7 p.m. game Thursday and UNO will face the winner of Houston Baptist University and the University of Central Arkansas.
In the 10
th, Howard walked, Veillon singled and Bratton reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Moments later, Ducote drove a ball to right field to bring home the game-winning run.
John Michael Stephens tossed 7.0 solid innings, allowing three runs while punching out six.
John Barr and
Reeves Martin combined for four strikeouts in 3.0 shutout frames. Barr improved to 6-3 and Martin earned his eighth save of the season. Blake Chisolm, who threw just 1.2 innings all season, allowed the game-winning run to fall to 0-1.
The heart of the Privateer order –
Pearce Howard,
Orynn Veillon and Bratton – combined for six hits, four runs and three RBI.
Small ball propelled the Bearkats to a 3-1 lead after an earlier UNO lead was followed with three unanswered runs. Sam Houston State summoned Nick Mikolajchak for the eighth looking to be the gap between Seth Ballew and Southland Conference Reliever of the Year Dakota Mills.
With two outs, Howard doubled down the diving third baseman and Veillon walked to put the tying run on first. Bratton, who earlier in the game extended his reached base safely streak to 28 consecutive games, made it a new game, erasing a two-run deficit and knotting things up at 3-3.
Stephens matched his career-high of 7.0 innings and the left-hander allowed three runs and punched out six in the no-decision. Barr allowed just one baserunner (walk) in the final two innings, picking up a pair of punchouts as we went into extras with the heart of the Privateer order due up to begin the 10
th.
Howard drew a four-pitch walk off Chisolm to begin the 10
th and Veillon dribbled a base hit past the second baseman to put the leadoff hitters on for Bratton. After a fielder's choice, Ducote, who entered as a defensive replacement, drove the ball deep enough to bring home the decisive run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Scott Crabtree drew a two-out out and
Devin Morrill followed with an opposite field single to put runners at the corners in the second. Seth Ballew forced a popout to strand runners to remain scoreless through 1.5 innings.
Stephens pitched himself out of runners at the corners in the second, inducing a comebacker to end the second unscathed. Through the first six outs, the lanky southpaw punched out three.
The Privateers continued to put runners on early with Howard going oppo for a two-out single. Veillon followed with a liner to left field for a double as head coach
Blake Dean waved Howard home to put New Orleans ahead 1-0 in the third.
The Bearkats responded with two runs in the bottom frame to put the No. 1 seed in front a run halfway thru the third game on day one of the Southland Conference Championship.
In the fifth, Sam Houston State singled and played some small ball, beginning with a Mac Odom bunt single to put runners on first and second with no outs. The co-leader in home runs in the regular season Andrew Fregia followed with a bunt but popped it up to
Owen Magee, and Stephens got Hunter Hearn's to fly out to center and struck out Clayton Harp to end the fifth.
Bratton singled up the middle to reach base safely for the 28
th consecutive game in the top of the sixth to put the tying run on with one out but the Bearkats induced a 1-6-3 double play to end the sixth and preserve their 2-1 lead.
Sam Houston State continued its small ball attack with its fifth attempted bunt of the game moving Eric Bohnert over to third. Bohnert, who led off with a double, came around to score on a sacrifice fly to extend the Bearkat lead to 3-1 2/3 through the game.
Seth Ballew's day was complete after seven and the left-hander left with a 3-1 lead. Ballew allowed one run on six hits and struck out two.
With two outs in the eighth, Howard doubled past the diving third baseman and Veillon walked to put the tying run on for Bratton. The second team all-conference catcher found a gap and tripled in both runners to tie the ballgame at 3-3.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Game Notes:
http://unoprivateers.com/sports/2018/2/15/baseball-game-notes.aspx?path=baseball
Listen:
http://unoprivateers.com/watch/
Live Stats:
http://www.sidearmstats.com/uno/baseball/
Watch:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/009f2df5-8496-48e3-a5f3-c1f32e5dc8a8/southland-conference-baseball-tournament (ESPN+)
Tickets:
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