Baseball Allows Mid-Inning Surge, Falls to LSU

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BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of New Orleans baseball team (13-4) kept the game tied into the fifth, but LSU (13-3) exploded for six runs over the next two innings to defeat the Privateers 9-4 on Wednesday night at Alex Box Stadium.
 
The game was tied at 2-2 in the fifth as starter, Bryan Warzek got the second out on a ground out. With runners on second and third, LSU's Jordan Romero came through with a two-run single to give the Tigers a lead that they wound up keeping for good. The Tigers added another run later in the frame on an RBI single from Chris Reid.
 
LSU posted three more runs in the sixth to expand their lead. Antoine Duplantis collected one of his three hits on the night, an RBI triple that scored Kramer Robertson. Duplantis later crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Bryce Jordan came up with his first career home run as a Tiger to push the LSU lead to 8-2. The Tigers used 10 different pitchers on the evening in the win.
 
"For us to be successful, three or four runs isn't going to cut it," said Coach Blake Dean. "As far as the pitchers, we couldn't get settled in at the plate but I thought we swung the bats decent. We made some hard outs and for the most part I thought we hit okay."
 
UNO struck first in the first inning. With two outs, Dakota Dean worked a 3-0 count. After starter, Alden Cartwright worked the count back full, Dean smashed a home run to left to put UNO up 1-0 after the top of the first. The Tigers had a response waiting in the bottom half of the frame, an inning that saw LSU steal four bases.
 
Robertson led off with a single, then stole second and third. Jake Fraley followed with a walk and a steal of his own. The first run came in on a Duplantis RBI single. Warzek recovered though to get a double play ball off the bat of Jordan and a fly out. LSU led 2-1 after the first.
 
"For us to be successful we can't have lapse in our confidence and ability to make plays," said Dean. "We've got to finish and do everything at 100 percent. We didn't tonight and that made a difference in the ball game.
 
The Privateers tied it back up in the second. Preston Marsh drew his first of two walks with one out and was driven in by Chaz Boyer's RBI double to the right field corner. Boyer was cut down on a relay for the second out, but UNO again threatened in the inning after Jay Robinson walked and Ryan Calloway doubled. The Tigers got out of the frame though as Doug Norman induced a ground out.
 
Boyer went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the offense. Dean was 1-for-4 with his second homer of the year and Marsh drew two walks and scored twice. Keaton Brewer threw 1.1 innings of relief while Ryan Leone and Hunter Medine each threw an inning.
 
LSU was led offensively by Duplantis who was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs. Duplantis landed a home run short of the cycle. Robertson scored two runs and went 1-for-4. Austin Bain picked up the win after pitching the fifth inning where LSU went ahead. As a staff, the Tigers recorded six strikeouts.
 
The Privateers will turn back to conference play starting on Friday at Stephen F. Austin. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
Season tickets for the 2016 campaign are available for as low as $125 and single-game tickets start at $5. For additional information, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263) or click HERE.
 
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