UNO rallies for extra inning victory against Tulane

NEW ORLEANS – Alexander Saunier drilled a fastball to deep right field that scored Brady Drawbaugh as the New Orleans Privateers walked off with a 6-5 win in 10 innings against the Tulane Green Wave on Tuesday night at Maestri Field.

That walk-off hit backed up a stellar performance by the Privateers’ bullpen, which limited Tulane to two hits over the last 7.2 innings. Combined, six Privateer relievers threw 81 pitches on the night against the Green Wave.

The tenth inning started with a walk drawn by Brady Prewitt. After a ground ball from Dylan Mach’s bat went through to left, the fourth error went on the board for Tulane. That’s when Drawbaugh came in to pinch run for Prewitt.

Two batters later, Saunier hammered a 1-1 pitch that went over right fielder Gavin Schulz’s head as the Privateers avoided the season sweep at the hands of Tulane.

Bryce Calloway was the last of the six pitchers who came in and he delivered on the mound and at the plate. In the eighth, Calloway hit a mammoth blast that had a 112-MPH exit velocity and traveled nearly 470 feet. That blast cut the Tulane lead to 5-4.

Then Calloway got it done on the mound. He faced the minimum six batters over two innings and needed just 25 pitches. He recorded a pair of strikeouts to notch his second win of the season.

New Orleans got back on level terms in the ninth. The first three men reached via two walks (one intentional) and a hit by pitch. With one out, Maika Niu drove one deep enough to right field that scored the tying run.

Elijah Karney got the start and was brilliant through the first two innings as the Privateers gained an early lead on a first inning run. However, Tulane hit a pair of homers in the third to vault their way to a 5-1 advantage. The second homer was a grand slam by Brady Marget.

From there, the bullpen took over. Connor Macip, Chris Olivier, Trey Usey, Nathan Blasick, Kyrin Tyson-Long and Calloway combined to shut out Tulane for the remainder of the night.

INSIDE THE BOX
Prewitt went 2-for-4 with a walk. Saunier reached base both times he came to the plate. Mitchell Sanford went 1-for-3 with two runs. Niu went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Karney struck out three batters in 2.1 innings.

Tulane starter, Billy Price set a new career-high in innings pitched as he went six and allowed just one unearned run. Jackson Linn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Connor Rasmussen went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.

NEXT UP
The Privateers will head to Natchitoches to face Northwestern State. The series starts Friday at 6:30 p.m.

WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests. Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win. Our city also houses the nation’s biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day. Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe!
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