SUGAR LAND, Texas – Eighth-seeded New Orleans scored three runs in the bottom of the third and that proved to be all it would need in a 3-1 victory over fourth-seeded HBU in the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament Thursday night at Constellation Field.
Senior catcher
Jake Pulcheon, junior centerfielder
Jonathan Ducoff and junior first baseman
Grant Buck each went 2-for-4, with Pulcheon doubling and scoring and Buck driving in the lone run for the Huskies (27-29).
Junior righthander
Zach Carter (4-5) went the distance for the third time this season, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks on 123 pitches in eight innings. He gave up only two hits outside of the third inning.
Orynn Veillon doubled and drove in a pair of runs for the Privateers (28-30).
Lefthander Bryan Warzek (5-2) earned the win for UNO, allowing one run on six hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in six innings. John Barr pitched two scoreless innings and Reeves Martin threw a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.
Pulcheon doubled into the leftfield corner, then Buck followed with an RBI single to center to put HBU ahead 1-0 in the top of the second.
Devin Morrill recorded the Privateers' first hit of the game with a one-out single in the third, then Darren Willis hit a short pop-up to right, but rightfielder
Matt Heck overran it. Second baseman
Jack Fitzgerald fielded it and fired to second for the force out attempt, but Morrill was called safe. Collin Morrill flied out to right and Deven Morrill advanced to third. HBU appealed that the runner left second early, but again the call went in UNO's favor. Carter then walked Owen Magee to load the bases and walked Pearce Howard to tie the game. Veillon then came through with a double to left for what proved to be the difference in the game.
The Huskies will face top-seed Sam Houston State in an elimination game Friday at noon. The Legacy Sports Network audio broadcast with
Russ Reneau begins at 11:50 a.m. and is available on HBUHuskies.com. The winner will advance to face UNO at 7 p.m. Friday.
