Privateers clinch series with 10th inning walk-off win over Evansville

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team tied the game in the ninth inning and walked it off with a sac fly in the 10th as they defeated the Evansville Purple Aces 3-2 on Saturday at Maestri Field. The win clinches the series for the Privateers.

The Privateers had a tough time breaking through against Kenton Deverman but the combination of Ryan Delorbe and Nathan Blasick kept the deficit at one run from the sixth inning until the Privateers tied it in the ninth.

Miguel Useche doubled off the wall in deep center to begin the inning. A batter later, Mitchell Sanford fouled off three straight two-strike pitches before he got one that he drove into right which brough Useche home and tied the game at 2-2.

After Blasick threw a second scoreless inning of relief, the Privateer offense went back to work. Closer, Jakob Meyer came on to face Collin Loupe. After Meyer jumped ahead in the count 0-2, Loupe battled to force a full count before he was hit by a pitch.

Andrew Guidry was also hit by a pitch and Dylan Mach drew a walk which loaded the bases. That set the stage for Maika Niu who drove a pitch deep enough to left field to allow Loupe to score on a sac fly.

It was a true pitcher’s duel throughout the afternoon. Evansville was first to get on the scoreboard after Cal McGinnis hit a two-out RBI single. The Privateers responded when Niu drove in Mach in the bottom of the inning.

McGinnis came up with two outs again and hit a double that scored Harrison Taubert to put the Purple Aces up 2-1. Deverman came in from there and only allowed one runner to get into scoring position until the Privateers’ breakthrough in the ninth.

INSIDE THE BOX
Grant Edwards got the start and went five innings while he limited Evansville to three hits. Delorbe and Blasick combined for five strikeouts to just one walk in five innings of relief. Useche and Sanford combined for four of the Privateers’ six hits.

Evansville starter, Nick Smith gave up a run on two hits in four innings and struck out four. The Purple Aces had eight hits as a team.

NEXT UP
The series closes with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.

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