Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? UALR (10-13, 0-4 Sun Belt) rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to tie the game at 5-all, but New Orleans (15-9, 4-3) pushed across a run in the eighth and ninth innings to pull out a 7-5 victory in the opening game of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Gary Hogan Field.
Junior David Klumpp (2-2) surrendered five runs in the second inning, but retired 17 of the next 18 batters he faced to help UALR even the score at 5-all in the bottom of the seventh. After watching its five-run lead evaporate, the Privateers plated the game-winning run in the top of the eighth on a two-out RBI single by Joey Butler.
Stephen Whalen (2-2) picked up the win for UNO with 1.1 scoreless innings in relief of starter Ryan O'Shea, and Adam Campbell notched his first save of the season by striking out two hitters as part of a perfect ninth inning.
Drew Anderson went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI to lead the way for UNO. The Trojans were led by two hits a piece from seniors Brett Lawler and Brian Asbill, and junior Nick DeSanctis. Senior Ryan Gotcher went 1-for-5 in the game to extend his hit streak to 12 games.
After a quiet first inning, the Privateers busted out for five runs in the top of the second to take an early 5-0 lead. Greg Wolfe opened the frame with a leadoff single, and Anderson followed with his seventh home run of the year, a two-run shot to right center to put UNO on top 2-0.
UNO wasn't done yet, as the Privateers put runners on the corners with one out, and Tyrone Wethels plated both with a two-run double to right center. Klumpp found himself on the verge of escaping the jam as he worked T.J. Baxter to a full count with two outs on the board and two runners on. Baxter, however, ripped a single to center field to push across two runners and give UNO its 5-0 lead.
UALR scored a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make it a one-run contest. The Trojans loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth off a walk by DeSanctis, a single by senior Tyler Mason and a Privateer fielding error on a grounder by Gotcher. Lawler made UNO pay with a two-run double to right center to make it a 5-2 contest.
Consecutive doubles by Asbill and junior Robert Taylor in the bottom of the sixth pulled UALR within two runs, 5-3. DeSanctis made it a 5-4 ballgame with a RBI single to left, but was thrown out at second trying to stretch the single into a double.
Down 5-4, Lawler took advantage of a passed ball and a wild pitch by Whalen to score the tying run from third. Whalen was able to work his way out of the jam, though, forcing UALR to strand a runner at third.
Klumpp started the eighth inning, but was pulled in favor of junior Mike Rogers with two on and one out. After fanning the first batter he faced, Rogers surrendered a two-out single to Butler, which allowed Anderson to score the winning run.
UNO tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the ninth after Johnny Giavotella reached on a throwing error with two outs on the board. Giavotella moved up on a single by Wolfe and came around to score on a double to left center by Anderson.
The two teams will return to action with a 2 p.m. meeting tomorrow afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
