Privateers hang on for series opening win at UIW

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Pearce Howard made a game saving catch and Haden Erbe notched his first win in a Privateer uniform as New Orleans held off UIW 5-4 on Friday night at Sullivan Field sponsored by HEB.

WINNER, WINNER
Haden Erbe got out of a couple of tight spots early and set sail late in his start for the win. Erbe pitched out of two bases loaded jams with just one run allowed in the opening two frames. He did not allow a hit after that and he struck out five of the last seven batters he faced.

HOLDING ON
The Privateers entered the bottom of the ninth with a 5-2 lead but Grant Smith homered on an 0-2 pitch. Lee Thomas followed and cranked one to deep right but he was denied a game tying home run by Pearce who reached up to snatch the ball for the first out.

Caleb Seroski got the last out on a ground ball off the bat of Taylor Darden for his fourth save of the season.

MID INNING SURGE
The Privateers and Cardinals each traded a run in the first. Then New Orleans pushed ahead with two runs each in the fourth and fifth. Salo Iza led off the fourth with a double and came around to score on an RBI ground out. Iza then drove in a run of his own with a fifth inning double.

Travis Gober and Kasten Furr also added RBI base hits to help vault the Privateers to a 5-1 lead after five innings.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Luther Woullard also added two hits including a first inning RBI double. That was his 13th double of the season and Woullard came into the weekend one behind the lead in Southland in that category.

Pearce also added a double as part of a two-hit night. Furr went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and an RBI. Iza and Woullard each added a stolen base.

NEXT UP
The series continues with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch for the first game is at 2 p.m.

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.