Privateers Go to 2-0 in SLC Tourney

The Privateers got solid pitching and just enough offense to squeak by Northwestern State on Thursday evening in Lake Charles, 4-3.

Starting pitcher Tyler LeBlanc gave New Orleans five solid innings, and Caleb Seroski delivered an outstanding outing in relief to get UNO within three outs of victory.  But Seroski ran into trouble in the ninth, and it was Nolan Daniel who was able to come in and shut the door on the Demons.

Kasten Furr delivered the go-ahead single in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.  Furr had two hits along with Jorge Tejeda and Anthony Herron, Jr.

The Privateers (35-22) face Nicholls in a critical winner's bracket game at 11 a.m. tomorrow.  The winner will sit out the remainder of Friday, while the loser will have to turn around and beat McNeese, then win twice on Saturday.

Herron Hits For Cycle in UNO Win

Anthony Herron Jr. hit for
the cycle in Saturday's win

Needing a strong final series against Nicholls to avoid the 6/7 play-in in next week's Southland baseball tournament, the Privateers (33-22, 13-11) delivered with two wins in three games.

After a strong effort on Thursday night from Brandon Mitchell led to a tight 7-6 win over the Colonels, the Privateers lost a bullpen-by-committee game on Friday night, 10-4.  That set up a rubber match with Nicholls on Saturday, a game where a New Orleans loss could have potentially dropped them to Tuesday's play-in game in Lake Charles.

Bischke's homer put UNO
ahead for good on Saturday

But UNO met the challenge, taking the lead on a Tyler Bischke two-run opposite field blast in the bottom of the third.  Holding a precarious 5-4 edge, the Privateers broke the game wide open with a six-run sixth inning.  Then, Anthony Herron Jr. completed the cycle by crushing a two-run homer over the left field wall to give New Orleans the run-rule 14-4 victory.

New Orleans will take on Lamar at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon in Lake Charles in its opening game in the Southland tournament.