Tulane University
Louisville
Baseball Scores Early, Often In 14-6 Thumping Of Louisville
May 3, 2002 | Baseball
May 3, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Heading into what head coach Rick Jones called a "big weekend for us", the Tulane University baseball team responded in a big way as the Green Wave pounded out 18 hits in a 14-6 victory over Conference USA foe Louisville Friday night at Turchin Stadium.
Led by junior first baseman Aaron Feldman and junior centerfielder Jon Kaplan with three hits each, the Green Wave scored early and often as Tulane plated three in the first and two in the second before pulling away in the fourth with six runs and scoring single runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings.
The Green Wave also got a strong outing from starting pitcher Nick Bourgeois (8-2) who scattered two runs on four hits while striking out four and walking one in 7.0 innings of work. Freshman Ricky Fairchild struck out the side in the eighth, and sophomore Anthony Giarratano made his first appearance on the mound since his junior year of high school to close out the game.
With the win, the Green Wave improve to 28-20 overall and 12-10 in C-USA play. Louisville, which came into the weekend series in sole possession of second place in the conference race, falls to 29-13 on the year and 14-8 in league action.
Tulane got things going early as redshirt-freshman rightfielder Gerald Clark launch a three-run homer in the first before Feldman and sophomore designated hitter Michael Aubrey each tallied RBI singles in the second to put the Green Wave ahead 5-0.
Louisville got on the board in the third on a two-run blast by rightfielder Mark Jurich, but the Green Wave got the runs back plus some in the fourth when Kaplan and Feldman hit back-to-back doubles to open the frame, Aubrey laced a two-RBI double to right and sophomore leftfielder Bryan Stelmack crushed a three-run bomb over the wall in left to put the home team ahead 11-2.
Tulane also scored on a sacrifice fly by Feldman in the fifth, a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Brooks Shankle in the seventh and an RBI single by freshman shortstop Tommy Manzella to account for the Green Wave's final runs.
Cardinal starter Scott Barber got the loss for Louisville after giving up eight runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking one in 3.1 innings. Clif Novak came on in the fourth, but did not fair much better over the next four-plus innings as he allowed six runs on 10 hits.
Tulane returns to action on Saturday when the Green Wave and the Cardinals do battle at 2 p.m. at Turchin Stadium. The two clubs close out the three-game series on Sunday with first pitch slated for noon.
