Box scoreNEW ORLEANS – New Orleans left-hander Bryan Warzek tossed seven scoreless innings to lead the Privateers to an 8-2 win over University of South Alabama baseball Tuesday at Maestri Field.
Warzek (1-1) allowed five hits with five strikeouts and five walks in seven innings pitched to earn his first win of the season. Jaguar right-hander Harrison Spruiell (1-1) allowed three runs on three hits with one strikeout and two walks in 1 1/3 innings in the loss.
UNO (16-5) loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first on a leadoff single by Ryan Calloway, and consecutive walks by Aaron Palmer and Dakota Dean, and took a one-run lead on a sacrifice fly to left field by Hezekiah Randolph that scored Calloway with the first run of the contest.
The Privateers doubled their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second on a one-out single to left field by Jay Robinson that scored Chaz Boyer, who reached ahead of Robinson on a double to left field. A two-out RBI single by Palmer later in the inning extended the UNO lead to three runs.
USA (15-6) threatened in the top of the fourth, which started with consecutive singles from Ben Gann and Danny Martinez. A flyout to center field by Matt Bolger allowed Gann to tag from second and advance to third to put runners at the corners with one out. But Warzek escaped the inning with a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play off the bat of Tanner Halstead.
UNO pushed its lead to 4-0 in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to right-center field off the bat of Randolph to score Dean, who tripled to right field ahead of Randolph. The Privateers added the game's final runs in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single to left-center field by Robinson, a fielder's choice RBI off the bat of Calloway, an RBI single to right field by Dean and a wild pitch by USA right-hander John Barr.
USA scored both of its runs in the top of the ninth on a two-out pinch-hit RBI triple off the center field wall by Adam Wolfe, and a pinch-hit RBI double to left-center field by Eddie Paparella.
Travis Swaggerty went 2-for-3 to lead the Jaguars at the plate, while Wolfe and Paparella added a hit and one RBI apiece. Robinson finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead UNO offensively.
"Their starter had a sneaky fastball," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "He walked some guys, but he was effectively wild and we didn't cash in on some opportunities. We had two double plays that killed some innings where if we could have scratched two or three (runs) in the first five innings, then you're looking at a different ballgame in terms of momentum. But it didn't happen and their kid gutted it out, really competed hard and they played good defense behind him.
"They are the best hitting team we have faced all year. I can see why they are hitting .320 as a team. They are tough at-bats up and down the lineup; there isn't an out in the lineup. You have to work to get them out, and we didn't do a good enough job tonight."
South Alabama will return to action Thu., March 24, when it opens a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Texas State at 6 p.m. in San Marcos, Texas.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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