Tulane holds off UNO to win Pelican Cup

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University baseball team (28-17-1;9-6) took down the University of New Orleans (23-19;9-9) in a 6-5 ballgame to claim the Pelican Cup on Tuesday night inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

The Pelican Cup will be back in GFATS for the first time since 1991 as the freshmen powered the Green Wave to victory.

“I’m pretty excited about the young kids in this program,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “They’re not perfect, but if you look at this stat sheet, they all had something to say about this win.”

Tulane started four freshmen and all four got a hit and scored at least one run. First-year right-hander also contributed, locking down UNO for a six out save.

Carter Robinson took the hill for the Green Wave and allowed three earned runs while striking out three in two innings of work.

Jackson Linn launched a three-run blast to center in the bottom of the first that scored fellow freshmen Gavin Schulz and Brady Marget, giving the Wave a 3-0 lead.

The Privateers immediately answered with a three-run shot by Jorge Tejada to tie the game at 3-3.

Clifton Slagel pitched 2.1 innings in relief of Robinson and struck out a season-high four hitters.

Tulane was threatening to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth with runners on first and second with no outs. The Wave then grounded a double play, but Luis Aviles wouldn’t let the rally die as he lifted a fly ball to left center that was misplayed by the centerfielder, scoring Teo Banks and giving the Wave a 4-3 lead.

Keaton Knueppel got the Wave to the late innings, relieving Slagel and preventing the Privateers from recording a single base runner in 2.2 innings.

The Wave set the table again in the bottom of the seventh before Schulz dropped down a bunt that was thrown down the first base line scoring Jared Hart.

“I just stick to Jewett’s philosophy,” Schulz said of his approach. “He’s a hitting guru and has definitely developed me as a hitter.”

Bennett Lee then grounded into a double play that scored Banks, extending the lead to 6-3.

Freshman Chandler Welch followed Knueppel, coming in to pitch a clean eighth.

When the Privateers mounted a rally in the top of the eighth and put runners on first and third with no outs, the Wave defense came up huge when Lee threw out a would-be base stealer and Trevor Minder made an acrobatic catch in the home bullpen before Welch struck out the next hitter for the third out.

Welch returned for the ninth and let two runs cross the plate before he struck out Amani Larry to close out the win.

“I didn’t want to make it that interesting,” Welch said. “But I was hitting my spots and that closer role definitely brings a little more adrenaline to the moment. The pressure makes the moment that much more enjoyable, and something you won’t forget.”

NEXT UP
Both teams host three-game conference series series this weekend starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The Privateers will face UIW. The Green Wave takes on Cincinnati.