UNO pounds out 14 hits but rally falls short vs. A&M Corpus Christi

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning but could not complete the comeback in an 11-9 loss to the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders on Saturday at Maestri Field.

DECISIONS
Clay Westbrook struck out the side in the fifth inning and stranded a pair of runners to pick up the win and move to 2-1. Brandon Mitchell took the loss after allowing six runs over five innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams traded runs in the third inning before the Privateers exploded for four runs in the fourth to establish a 5-1 lead. However, the Islanders did a lot of two-out damage in the fourth inning to grab a lead they wound up never relinquishing.

With the bases loaded, Tre Jones doubled to left and scored three runs. The next batter was Josh Caraway who homered on a 2-1 pitch to put the Islanders ahead 6-5. From there, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi extended the lead and was up 11-6 heading to the bottom of the eighth.

The Privateers tightened things up on the scoreboard down the stretch after Tyler Bischke tripled and later scored in the eighth inning. In the ninth, Anthony Herron Jr. pounced on the first pitch and slammed a two-run homer to cut the lead to 11-9.

With two outs, Jeissy De la Cruz was hit by a 3-1 pitch that brought the tying run to the plate. However, Jaime Ramirez Jr. induced a line out to first to preserve the win and carry the series decision into Sunday.

INSIDE THE BOX
Pearce Howard got a lot closer to all-time hits leader, Kevin McGann after four hits including a home run and two RBI. Howard is now at 262 career hits, six shy of tying McGann.

Bischke, Travis Gober and Amani Larry had two hits each. Issac Williams had a double and drove in a pair of runs.

On the mound, Jacob Mead and Collin Kulivan worked scoreless innings.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA
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