Baseball Wins 7-5 Friday Thriller Over Rice

Friday, April 4

New Orleans

6:30 p.m.

Tulane University

19-12, 3-4

Rice

7-25, 1-6

Rice

Tulane Green Wave

Photo by: Parker Waters

Apr 4, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane baseball team (19-12, 4-5 AAC) made it two wins in a row with a 7-5 conference victory over Rice (7-25, 1-6 AAC) on Friday night, April 4, on Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

Tayler Montiel (3-0) threw a career-high 4.0 innings out of the bullpen with four strikeouts and one run allowed to earn his third win of the season. Michael Lombardi was steady in the ninth for his eighth save of the season despite surrendering two hits. Luc Fladda started for the Green Wave and allowed four runs on seven hits.

Hugh Pinkney led the offensive attack with a grand slam, four RBIs and two walks. Theo Bryant IV had a pair of hits including his first home run as a member of the team. Connor Rasmussen had a pair of hits plus a run scored, an RBI and a walk. Matthias Haas totaled two runs, a hit and a walk. Tanner Chun had a bunt single. Kaikea Harrison had a hit and an RBI.

Tulane started the scoring in the third inning as Bryant led off the frame with a home run. Rasmussen doubled the lead with his two-out double.

The Green Wave added a run in the fourth on Harrison's RBI single up the middle.

Rice took the lead in the top of the fifth with four runs on a Hiram Bocachica two-run double and two-run single from Michael Zito.

Tulane took the lead back, 7-4, on the grand slam from Pinkney in the bottom of the frame.

Rice would bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth and got a run closer on Colin Robson's one-out RBI single before Lombardi shut the door with a strikeout and a ground out.

Next, Tulane plays the second game of the series against Rice starting on Saturday, April 5, at 6:30 p.m.

Notables
Tayler Montiel's four innings pitched was a career-high…Tulane has now hit three grand slams this season (Connor Rasmussen – 1, Jackson Linn – 1 and Hugh Pinkney – 1)…Michael Lombardi's save was his league leading eighth of the season and the 13th of his career…He is now in eighth place all by himself in the career list and one away from reaching Zach Devito (2021-22) for seventh…His eight saves this season puts him just out of the top 10 in the single season list only two from reaching Daniel Latham (2007) and Brian Gibbs (1994)…The victory was the 77th in the Tulane career of Head Coach Jay Uhlman moving him one past David Pierce (current Rice Head Coach and former Tulane Head Coach from 2015-16) for sixth all-time at the school.
TICKETS
Tickets for the baseball season and the upcoming football campaign can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.

WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes, and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.

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