Baseball Drops Opener to Huskies, 8-5

Thursday, May 16

New Orleans, LA

6:30 PM

Tulane University

30-23, 11-10

UCONN

32-21, 11-11

UConn

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

May 16, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La. – After storming back to take the lead, the Tulane baseball team was unable to match the seven runs put up by the UConn Huskies in an 8-5 loss in the series opener Thursday night at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

Down by a single run through three innings, the Green Wave (30-23, 11-10 American) scored four runs on five hits in the fourth. However, the Huskies (32-21, 11-11) came back to score three in the fifth to tie the game again and four in the seventh on a grand slam to pull back out ahead as Tulane would only score one run after that.

"Unfortunately, we're having a tough time seizing opportunities," head coach Travis Jewett said. "It seems to be game after game where we can cement the second place in this league, and we just don't want to seem to reach out there and grab it."

Tulane finished the game with 10 hits, led by Grant Mathews who went 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Trevor Jensen and Frankie Niemann each finished with two hits, while Koby Owen drove in a pair on one hit.

Keagan Gillies (2-4) suffered the loss on Thursday as he allowed six runs, three earned, on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 3.1 innings. Starter Kaleb Roper pitched the first three innings and allowed a run on four hits with a walk and strikeout.

Mason Feole (3-3) went six innings and allowed those four runs to Tulane in the fourth, finishing the day striking out six and walking two with six hits. Caleb Wurster allowed a run in 0.2 innings to let Tulane get within three, but Jacob Wallace (14) picked up the save as he struck out two and gave up two hits in the final 1.1 innings of the contest.

Catcher Pat Winkel drove in seven as he went 4-for-5 with a run scored, as three players accounted for nine of the 12 UConn hits in the game.

Feole was having his way with the Tulane batting order until reaching the fourth when Hudson Haskin doubled down the left field line to break the no-hit bid with an out on the board. Jonathon Artigues took the third pitch of his at-bat and smoked a double down the right field line to tie the game at 1-1.

Mathews followed suit with a single through the right side to give Tulane its first lead up 2-1, as Niemann singled to right to put two on for the Green Wave. After a strikeout, Owen hit a sky-high ball into the twilight that fell between two defenders in left to bring in both Mathews and Niemann on the double to make it 4-1 Tulane.

The Green Wave were nearly out of the inning in the top of the fifth with two outs on the board, but an error kept the UConn frame alive and a three-RBI single after that tied the game again at 4-4.

In the seventh, a walk and single put two Husky runners on base, with a sacrifice bunt advancing the two to second and third. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Brendan Cellucci came on for Gillies and a home run to right brought four runs in to give UConn the lead back up 8-4.

Luke Glancy was hit for the second time on the night to open the Tulane eighth, with Owen drawing a walk to put two on. A double play put two outs on the board, but Jensen singled through the right side to plate Glancy and put the score at 8-5.

Game two of the series is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch Friday at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

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