NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University baseball team (9-10) was defeated by Louisiana Tech (13-5) in a back-and-forth contest, 8-6, on Sunday at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
“We just weren’t able to do the things that we needed to do to win,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “We continue to preach about the little things, and they did more of them than we did this weekend. We gave ourselves a chance to win but just came up a little bit short.”
Junior lefty Jack Aldrich (1-1) took the hill for the Green Wave and gave up six runs on six hits while racking up seven strikeouts over six innings of work.
Senior right-hander Jarret Whorff (4-1) started for Louisiana Tech, his first outing since his complete game shutout against top-ranked Arkansas one weekend prior. Tulane tagged Whorff for five runs, four earned, on seven hits over six innings.
After the Bulldogs struck for three runs in the first inning, the Wave responded with two of their own. Freshman catcher Bennett Lee launched an RBI triple off the wall in left to score Collin Burns and get Tulane on the board for the first time this series. Jared Hart then lifted a bloop RBI single into right field with the bases loaded to bring home Lee and cut the deficit to 3-2.
After a shaky first inning, Aldrich settled down and struck out the side in the second.
In the bottom of the frame, Burns ripped a two-out double to right before junior outfielder Ethan Groff singled him home to tie the game, 3-3. Lee then lifted a fly ball to right that Louisiana Tech lost in the sun, scoring Groff and giving Tulane its first lead of the series at 4-3.
After allowing a two-run home run in the first, Aldrich retired 13 of the next 14 hitters before Louisiana Tech took a 6-4 lead in the sixth.
Sophomore Simon Baumgardt led off the bottom of the sixth with a loud home run to left field, the first of his career, to trim the Bulldogs’ lead to one, 6-5.
Louisiana Tech added two more runs in the top of the eighth, but Tulane fought right back in the bottom of the inning. A misplayed grounder off the bat of Jared Hart scored Lee to make it an 8-6 ballgame.
Freshman reliever Zach DeVito pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to keep the Green Wave within striking distance.
Tulane loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but wasn’t able to complete the comeback.
“It’s disappointing to lose a heartbreaker like that when we had a good opportunity to win,” Lee said. “I believe in us, and we are going to be fine. We are a good team.”
Up Next
Tulane welcomes LSU to Greer Field at Turchin Stadium on Tuesday, March 23 at 6 p.m.
{Press release courtesy of Tulane Athletics}