Brandon Mitchell nets 10th win as Privateers hold off Nicholls

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers exploded for five runs in the fourth inning and held off a late rally in a 7-6 win over the Nicholls Colonels on Thursday evening at Maestri Field.

The win gave Blake Dean his 32nd victory, the most in a single season in his coaching career.

DECISIONS
Brandon Mitchell pitched into the eighth inning to grab win number 10 on the year. The loss went to Devin Desandro who gave up three runs in three-plus innings. Jacob Mead picked up his fourth save of the year.

New Orleans (32-21, 12-10) was a double play turning machine as they had four on the night, which ran their season total to 44. Mitchell, who was on the mound for all four, became the first Privateer pitcher with 10 or more wins in a season since Bryan Cryer in 2008.

The Colonels (29-21, 14-8) tightened things up with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Garrett Felix started the inning by reaching on an error. After a Wes Toups double, the Colonels scored one on an RBI groundout.

A second run came in when Parker Coddou singled up the middle. However, Mead bounced right back and got Xane Washington to pop out on the next pitch.

Nicholls got the jump on the Privateers with a two-out, two-run double from Kaden Amundson. The Privateers got a run back though when Jorge Tejeda drove in a run on a base hit. The bases were loaded with two outs but the Colonels got out of trouble by inducing a groundout.

In the fourth, New Orleans grabbed their first lead of the night. The Privateers strung five hits together including a home run by Tyler Bischke which accounted for three of the runs. Bischke joined Tristan Moore in the double-digit home run category with his long ball.

The Privateers added another run in the seventh inning that stretched the lead at the time to 7-2.

Their double play total was one shy of tying the single game mark in program history, which was set in 1996 against LSU.

One more win coupled with a loss by either Texas A&M-Corpus Christi or Lamar means the Privateers will get out of the play-in game of the Southland Tournament.

INSIDE THE BOX
Bischke, Mitchell Sanford and Jeissy De la Cruz each had two hits on the night and combined for five RBI. Issac Williams had a hit, a walk and a run scored. Kasten Furr added a hit, an RBI and a run. Mitchell struck out four batters and ate up 7.1 innings.

Nicholls had two hits each from Coddou and Toups. Gavin Galy threw four innings on the mound and limited the Privateers to a run on three hits.

NEXT UP
The series continues with a first pitch at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersBSB on Twitter, @PrivateersBSB on Instagram, like Privateers Baseball on Facebook and subscribe to the UNOPrivateers YouTube channel.