Tulane University
Se Louisiana
Clark Leads Baseball Past Southeastern Louisiana, 15-5
Apr 30, 2002 | Baseball
April 30, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Redshirt-freshman rightfielder Gerald Clark went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI, and every Green Wave starter had at least one hit as the Tulane University baseball team defeated Southeastern Louisiana 15-5 Tuesday evening at Turchin Stadium.
The Green Wave fell behind early as Southeastern's Russell Taylor hit a leadoff home run, but the home team responded with eight runs in the second, three in the third and eighth, and one in the fourth as Tulane improved to 27-20 on the year. SLU, meanwhile, falls to 19-26.
Starter Kris Kline (3-2) went six strong innings for the Green Wave, striking out five while giving up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Kelly Comarda came on for Tulane in the seventh, giving up just two hits while striking out four in two innings, before giving way to Will Walter who pitched the ninth.
After a three-up, three-down first, sophomore leftfielder Bryan Stelmack reached on a two-base error to begin the second and Clark belted a homer to right to put the Green Wave ahead 2-1. Sophomore shortstop Anthony Giarratano walked one batter later before catcher Brian Bormaster, designated hitter Turner Brumby, shortstop Tommy Manzella and centerfielder Jon Kaplan hit consecutive singles to make it 4-2. After a strikeout, senior second baseman James Jurries doubled off the wall in right center to plate a pair of runs and Stelmack ripped a two-RBI single to left to complete the eight-run barrage.
One frame later, Kaplan drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a hit-and-run double by junior first baseman Aaron Feldman to make it 9-1 before Jurries crushed his Conference USA-leading 15th homer of the season to right center to make it 11-1 after three.
The Green Wave scored a run in the fourth when Clark doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a Lion fielding error, but SLU reliever Risland St. Germain kept the Green Wave scoreless from the fifth through the seventh innings.
In the eighth, though, a hit by pitch and a walk spelled the end of the night for St. Germain, and the Green Wave were able to plate a trio of runs as pinch hitter Brooks Shankle, Clark and Girarratano all had RBI-singles to account for Tulane's final runs.
SLU starter Chris O'Brien (3-6) took the loss after giving up seven earned runs in 1.1 inning, allowing seven hits while striking out one and walking one. St. Germain got the Lions through the seventh before giving way to Chris Levin and Craig Gonzalez in the eighth.
Lion first baseman Rhett Buras went 3-for-5 and SLU third baseman Anthony Krajancic went 2-for-4 in the losing effort.
The Green Wave returns to action on Friday when Tulane plays host to C-USA foe Louisville at 6:30 p.m. at Turchin Stadium. The two teams play again on Saturday at 2 p.m before closing out the three-game series on Sunday at noon.
