Tulane holds off Southeastern, 7-6

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University baseball team (14-7-1) took down Southeastern Louisiana University (8-13) in a 7-6 on Wednesday evening inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

The Green Wave got out to an early lead and held on down the stretch and got just enough clutch hitting to down the Lions for the second time this season.

“It’s important for us to play well in the midweek,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “I think Carter deserved a win. This is a game of momentum and getting this one tonight gives us good feelings going into the weekend.”

Graduate student Carter Robinson started for the Green Wave and allowed three runs, two earned, while striking out six Lions over five solid innings.

Freshman left-hander Adam Guth got the start for the Lions and allowed four earned runs and ten base runners in three innings of work.

The Green Wave started the game with some fire, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Luis Aviles launched a triple into the right-center field gap, scoring Bennett Lee from first before Chase Engelhard singled home Aviles. Simon Baumgardt then singled, scoring Engelhard who had advanced to second.

Tulane added to its lead in the bottom of the second thanks to a ground ball single up the middle by Jackson Linn that scored Trevor Minder. The single extended Linn’s hitting streak to six games.

Engelhard came up clutch again in the bottom of the fourth with another RBI-single to right field, scoring Aviles and giving the Wave a 5-0 lead.

The Lions broke through in the top of the fifth to reduce the lead to 5-1. Robinson got in trouble later in the inning when Southeastern loaded the bases with two outs, but the tall right-hander buckled down and struck out the Lions shortstop.

The Wave got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Minder singled home Brayden Morrow. Jared Hart then walked before Lee sent a double over the right fielder’s head that scored Minder to increase the lead to 7-1.

The Lions struck in the top of the sixth hitting back-to-back doubles to chase Robinson. Lane Thomas relieved Robinson and the Lions loaded the bases with one out. Southeastern added another run, but the Wave cut down a runner trying to steal home to end the inning.

Southeastern made it a one-run ballgame in the top of the seventh when Pierce Leavengood jacked a three-run bomb to right.

Zach DeVito came in in the bottom of the eighth and got a big punchout with runners on first and second to end the frame.

DeVito came back out in the ninth and slammed the door for his fifth save of the year.

“I’m just having fun out there every time I get the ball,” DeVito said. “I’m just trying to keep putting up zeroes and the team is helping me out.”

UP NEXT: Tulane is hosting Dayton for a three-game series inside GFATS. First pitch of Friday’s matchup is at 6:30 p.m.