Strong Pitching Leads Baseball to 5-4 Friday Victory Over EKU

Friday, February 27

New Orleans, LA

6:30 p.m.

Tulane University

6-3

Eastern Kentucky

2-6

Eastern Kentucky

Tulane

Strong Pitching Leads Baseball to 5-4 Friday Victory Over EKU

Feb 27, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS - Trey Cehajic's career day on the mound and some late timely pitching helped lead Tulane's baseball team (7-3) to a 5-4 victory over visiting Eastern Kentucky (2-7) on Friday night, Feb. 27, on Greer Field at Turchin Stadium

Cehajic (1-0) started and was the story of the early part of the game for Tulane as he threw a career-high seven innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts. Caden Tarango surrendered three runs (two earned) without being able to record an out. Tom Vincent retired a man in the eighth but also allowed a hit, a walk, and a run. Jude Abbadessa pitched the team out of a jam in the eighth but ran into some trouble in the ninth before giving way to Sam Larson. Larson retired the only two men he faced, including one by strikeout, to earn his first save of the season.

Kaikea Harrison led the offensive attack with two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Tye Wood had a hit and a run scored. Jason Wachs tallied a hit, and a walk plus scored two runs. Hugh Pinkney had a hit, a walk, a run and an RBI. Matthias Haas knocked in a pair of runs.

The loss was taken by EKU's Carson VanHaaren (0-2). VanHaarren allowed five runs in 2.2 innings

Cehajic cruised for the first seven innings as he surrendered just one hit in recording his 11 strikeouts. Of his 11 strikeouts, nine were called punch outs. In the eighth, after Cehajic exited following 102 pitches, EKU fought back with four runs and even had the tying run on third with no one out. Vincent induced a ground out to second with the infield drawn in for the first out. Abbadessa was then called upon in relief. A line out to second followed. The third out was recorded at the plate as catcher Pinkney was able to tag out the charging runner from third, Pedro Moreno, off a wild pitch as he attempted to score the tying run at the plate.

In the ninth, Khaleei Pratt doubled for EKU to begin the frame. An attempted sacrifice bunt in which the ball could not be caught at first moved Pratt to third. The second sacrifice bunt of the inning moved both runners into scoring position. Larson was then called upon and registered a strikeout and ground out back to himself to end the game to preserve the victory.

The game started with Tulane scoring three runs in the opening inning. Harrison began the game with a solo home run. Pinkney drove in the second run with a bases loaded walk to score Wood. Groeneveld plated the third run of the inning with his ground out to score Wachs.

The Green Wave added a pair of runs, 5-0, in the third inning on a double from Haas.

The Colonels broke through for four runs in the eight inning on a two-run double from Carson Bittner, a single by Pedro Moreno and a run scoring wild pitch.

Next, Tulane plays the second game of the series against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Feb. 28, starting at 4 p.m.

Notables
Jason Wachs extended his on-base streak to 36 games from the end of last season and the first 10 games this year with a hit and a walk today against Eastern Kentucky…The 36 games is a career high… Trey Cehajic's 11 strikeouts are the most for the program since Michael Lombardi also went seven innings with 11 strikeouts last season against Florida Atlantic in the first round of the American Conference Championship (5/20/25)…Kaikea Harrison's home run was his second career long ball at Tulane and third blast dating back to the start of his collegiate career at USC.

TICKETS
Tickets for the baseball season and the upcoming football and volleyball campaigns 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.

GREEN WAVE CLUB
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