Cincinnati slips past Tulane in 11 innings, 3-2

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University baseball team (28-18-1; 9-7) fell 3-2 in the opening game of its three-game series with the University of Cincinnati (18-24; 8-8) on Friday evening inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

Dylan Carmouche tossed a gem, but Tulane couldn’t get the big hit as it was held scoreless from the third inning on.

“We found ways to put ourselves in good positions, but we need to be opportunistic,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “We had the right guys up there, but just couldn’t get it done. Carmouche was masterful. It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t rewarded for his outing.”

Carmouche, a sophomore left-hander, started for the Green Wave and allowed two earned runs in 7.1 innings of work. The southpaw struck out eight Bearcats. Carmouche didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and finished the night with 121 pitches.

Senior Beau Keathley took the hill for Cincinnati and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits while striking out eight in eight innings of work.

Tulane struck first in the bottom of the first when leadoff man Gavin Schulz walked, Bennett Lee singled him over to third, and Brady Marget beat out a would-be inning ending double play for an RBI force out and a 1-0 lead.

The Wave extended its lead in the bottom of the second to 2-0 thanks to a pair of Bearcats errors.

Carmouche got in a jam with runners on second and third and just one out in the top of the sixth. The left-hander buckled down, struck out the Bearcat two-hitter, and got the third-place hitter to ground out on his 99th pitch of the night.

Jared Hart made the defensive play of the day when he caught a ball while crashing into the wall in center field in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Hart laced a single up the middle before Teo Banks rolled a ball to third base that was deflected into left field for a double. Schulz then walked to load the bases, but the Wave left them juiced.

Chandler Welch came into the game in the ninth for the Wave and pitched two scoreless frames.

The Bearcats loaded the bases in the top of the 11th with just one out before Tyler Hoffman came in from the bullpen. The veteran right-hander proceeded to strike out both hitters he faced, but not before Cincinnati took a 3-2 lead on a passed ball, the final score of the game.

UP NEXT: First pitch of game two is tomorrow, Saturday, at 2:00 p.m.