Box Score SUGAR LAND, Texas – With three games in less than 24 hours time, No. 8 University of New Orleans (29-32) brought the tying run to the plate and the Privateers threatened despite a depleted and exhausted roster. Despite the loss, UNO won 29 games in year three of the
Blake Dean era and advanced to the Southland Conference Championship for the first time since joining the SLC.
Down three in the fifth, New Orleans stormed back with two off
Orynn Veillon's single/advance on throw and a passed ball to make it a brand-new ballgame, knotting the score at 5 apiece. That would be the score until the seventh when Southland Conference Player of the Year David Fry connected for a solo shot to begin the seventh, putting NSU back in front 6-5.
William Griffin,
John Michael Stephens and
Matthew Gillis concluded their Privateer careers with stellar outings in relief, combining for 7.0 innings and seven strikeouts.
The Privateers brought up the hottest hitter of the game in
Collin Morrill, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored before the two-out, ninth-innings at bat.
Bryan Warzek asked for it and got it as the ace of the staff. The left-hander struck out the side in the leadoff inning and got the run support that was at times missing during the regular season with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Morrill led off with a single and Veillon brought him home on a triple to straightaway center field for a 1-0 lead. On a read with the ball in the dirt, Veillon scored during
Beau Bratton's at bat to make it 2-0 UNO.
Back-to-back singles and a walk gave NSU the bases loaded and no outs in the second. The Demons tied the game on a two-run single by Sam Taylor and added two later to take a 4-2 lead.
Warzek's evening was complete after 1.2 and the junior, who will surely hear his name in the 2018 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft June 2-4, moved up to No. 4 on the all-time strikeouts list after fanning four. In the second,
Jared McKay entered as a defensive replacement for
Pearce Howard. A freshman from Maryland, Howard collected 65 hits and 11 doubles prior to the final game of the tournament.
Griffin struck out two in the third and pitched well with the fourth, but an unearned run came around to score on two errors to extend the Northwestern State to extend its lead to 5-2 in the fourth. Griffin got the home run derby champion J.P. Lagreco looking to end the top half of the inning.
Entering UNO's half of the frame, Northwestern State went to the 'pen, bring in southpaw Tyler Pigott. Danny Hlad went 3.0 innings and allowed four hits and two runs.
Beau Bratton singled to extend his reached base safely streak to 32 games, but the catcher was thrown out trying to leg a double by Tyler Smith.
In the fifth, Griffin forced a double play and a groundout to
Owen Magee to end the top half of the inning.
Devin Morrill led off with a walk and
Darren Willis was close to flaring a single, but Kwan Adkins made a Sports Center Top 10 worthy play in left center field for the first out of the frame.
Collin Morrill recorded his third consecutive base knock to put runners on first and second. McKay drew a four-pitch walk and Veillon deposited a single to center to plate two and move McKay to third. McKay was able to score on a passed ball by Kelsey Richard, tying the game at 5-5.
Jay Robinson and
Cody Ducote, who came in as a pinch hitter earlier in the game, singled to begin the sixth. A bunt looked to advance both to scoring position, but new pitcher Jose Vasquez gunned out the lead run for the first out of the inning. What looked to be a promising inning ended with a double play and the score tied at 5-5.
Fry lasered a home run to begin the seventh to put NSU ahead, 6-5. An RBI single extended the lead to two on what could have been a bang bang play at the plate. The following at-bat, McKay gunned out the baserunner trying to score for the second out of the inning.
The Privateers entered the ninth inning less than 24 hours after a 12-inning marathon with HBU that ended at 1:58 a.m. The turnaround was quick and New Orleans proved to be resilient but could not overcome three errors as No. 3 Northwestern State defeated No. 8 UNO 7-5.
Unfortunately, Griffin (0-3) was charged with the loss despite going 4.2 innings. The right-hander struck out four. Jose Vasquez (6-1) picked up the win in 4.0 innings of relief.
POSTSEASON HONORS
Kyle Arjona,
Beau Bratton and
Orynn Veillon were named to the Southland Conference All-Tournament Team.
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