Tulane University
UCF
Tulane Bats Light Up Knights Pitching in 20-5 Win
Apr 11, 2009 | Baseball
April 11, 2009
ORLANDO- The Tulane bats came out with a vengeance Saturday afternoon against UCF as the Green Wave posted 20 runs on 23 hits to win game two of the Conference USA series against the Knights. Tulane improved to 18-16 while getting their second C-USA win to bump their record to 2-6.
The Green Wave got off to a hot start, thanks to a pair of two-out home runs in the opening frame. Sam Honeck (2-5, three RBI) reached on a base on balls and was promptly driven in by Jeremy Schaffer, who took the Jaager Good offering over the left field wall on a line to get the Green Wave on the board, 2-0. Designated hitter Jamie Bruno (4-6, five RBI, three home runs) stepped in and followed suit, taking Good down the right field line for the solo shot, extending Tulane's lead, 3-0.
Green Wave starter Josh Zeid (5-0) made quick work of the UCF order, retiring the side in order to get the Wave back in the dugout, where they picked up another run. Seth Henry (2-5, double) welcomed new Knights' pitcher Anthony Figliolia to the contest with a leadoff double off the right field wall. Henry crossed the pay station when Josh Prince (3-5, four RBI) got a base hit up the middle.
The Knights tried to cut the deficit in the bottom of the inning, when Brandon Romans reached on a base on balls. A Beau Taylor single put runners at first and second but Zeid got Kiko Vasquez to line out to Andrew Rodgers in left field for the first out of the inning. D.J. Hicks picked up an RBI on a single to right and Chris Duffy followed with a ground ball out to the right side that was good enough to plate Taylor and after two full, Tulane still led, 4-2.
The Green Wave worked quickly in the third inning, getting those two runs back when Schaffer (3-4, four RBI, two home runs) led off with a single up the middle. Bruno stayed hot, taking Figliolia deep over the left field wall for his second home run of the afternoon and extending the Wave advantage, 6-2. Drew Allain (4-5, double, two RBI) followed with an infield single and moved to third with aggressive base runner when Rodgers (2-4, RBI) punched a base hit through the left side. Josh Prince picked up his teammates, getting a two-out knock to right to score Allain and move Rodgers to third, but the Knights' third pitcher of the contest, Austin Hudson, worked out of the inning but not before Tulane lengthened their lead 7-2.
Tulane picked up a pair of runs in the fourth when Schaffer was hit by a pitch and Bruno singled to left field, moving him into scoring position. Allain stayed perfect with a single through the left side to score Schaffer and move Bruno to second. Rodgers singled and picked up the RBI, plating Bruno for the second run of the frame and upping the score 9-2.
Honeck got in on the home run party in the fifth when Scott Powell led off the inning with a single to left, bringing up the Wave's RBI leader. Honeck took the first pitch from Hudson to straightaway centerfield for his 13th round tripper of the year and Tulane enjoyed the 11-3 advantage.
Zeid stayed strong in the bottom of the frame, retiring the Knights in order to get the Green Wave back in the dugout where they posted another run in the top of the sixth. Allain led off, earning his way onto first after wearing a pitch in the hand. He came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Matt Ryan to get the Wave lead to nine runs.
The Knights put up a pair of runs in the sixth when Taylor and Vasquez hit back to back solo shots the Green Wave bats had given Zeid enough run support to earn the senior starter the victory. And the Wave bats weren't finished yet. Schaffer hit his second home run of the ballgame in the top of the seventh where Tulane was still on top 13-5.
Taylor Rogers, who had come in in relief of Zeid in the sixth inning, went right to work in the bottom of the inning, striking out Knights' second baseman Shane Brown and getting a pair of ground balls to end the inning, three-up, three-down.
Allain got the Wave in the Tulane record books by going yard to open the eighth inning. The Wave posted seven total home runs in the contest, putting the game in a tie for second with the most long balls by a Tulane club.
Nick Boullosa followed Allain with a single to left and Henry picked up his second hit of the afternoon, moving Boullosa to third. Ryan walked to load the bases and Prince capitalized on the opportunity, punching a base hit through the left side to pick up two RBI in the form of Boullosa and Henry and Tulane led by double digits, 16-5. A fly ball moved Ryan to third and Honeck singled him in and moved Prince to third. Schaffer registered the sacrifice fly to plate Prince and Jamie Bruno continued to stay hot, hitting his third bomb down the right field line to pick up two more RBI and to give the Wave the 20-run tally. Bruno's third home run puts him in a tie for the most home runs in a game by a Tulane player, with the last player to earn the distinction being Nathan Southard, who performed the feat against Houston in 2005.
Rogers went back to the hill and quickly shut down the Knights in the bottom of the eighth, getting leadoff pinch hitter Chadd Hartman to fly out, followed by a ground ball out and a strike out to end the game with Tulane getting the huge 20-5 victory.
The 23 hits posted by the Wave also puts the contest in a tie for fourth for the most hits posted by any Tulane team in a single game.
The Green Wave will look to continue their offensive barrage as they take on UCF in the rubber match of the series Sunday morning at 10AM Central Time at Jay Bergman Field.
