New Orleans 11, Western Kentucky 6

MOBILE, Ala. – New Orleans took advantage of Western Kentucky miscues and had four multiple run innings as the Privateers defeated the Hilltoppers 11-6 Wednesday in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament being played at Stanky Field on the campus of the University of South Alabama. 

WKU went up 2-0 early in the top of the first when Matt Hightower was hit by a pitch and Terrance Dayleg followed that up with a blast that cleared the left field fence.

UNO countered in the bottom half of the inning by scoring four runs – all unearned.  T.J. Baxter reached on a fielding error with two outs and then advanced to second on a wild pitch and then stole third.   Johnny Giavotella then walked and stole second.  Baxter scored on the steal as the throw to second from catcher J.B. Paxson was off-line. 

Josh Tarnow’s subsequent single scored Giavotella and WKU starter Bart Carter then loaded the bases when he hit Drew Anderson and Greg Wolfe.  Anderson and Tanrow crossed home when Mark McGonigle singled through the left side.

A Tanrow homer in the bottom of the second with Joey Butler on first made the score 6-2.

The Hilltoppers made it a 6-5 game in the fourth when Scotty Colt and Wade Gaynor both singled and Paxson homered to left center.

Tarnow and Anderson got UNO going again in the fifth with two straight one-out singles.  After Greg Wolfe was hit by a pitch to load the bases, McGonigle reached on an error that allowed two runs to score.  Brandon Bowser then lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Wolfe to stretch the UNO lead to 9-5.

WKU got a run back in the seventh when a two-out single from Casey Hamilton plated Scott Kaskie to make it a three-run game.  The Hilltoppers threatened again in the eight, loading the bases with two outs, but reliever Adam Campbell got Dayleg to line out to center to end the threat and keep it a 9-6 game.

Joey Butler led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to rightful and a double by Baxter put runners at second and third.  Chad Adcock came out of the bullpen and surrendered an RBI single to Giavotella.  Tarnow then grounded into a double play, but Baxter came home to score on the play to push the UNO lead to 11-6.

Campbell then retired WKU in order in the ninth to close out the game and pick up his seventh save of the year.

WKU’s Bart Carter (6-5) suffered the loss as he allowed 11 runs (5 earned) on nine hits, while walking five and striking out three in 7.0 innings of work.  Justin Garcia (6-4) allowed five runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings to get the win.