Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? No. 29 New Orleans (38-13, 18-8 Sun Belt) plated eight runs in the eighth inning on its way to a 12-4 win over the UALR baseball team (13-32, 7-18) on Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field. The Trojans led 3-2 after seven innings thanks to a solid outing from sophomore Ashur Tolliver, but the Privateers rallied against the UALR bullpen for their 13th-straight win.
New Orleans had several missed opportunities through the first seven innings, stranding runners on third base in the first, third and fourth innings, to help the Trojans take a 3-2 lead. The Privateer offense finally broke through in the eighth, as a Trojan error helped UNO plate eight runs (only two of which were earned) to go on top for good.
UNO starter Bryan Cryer improved to 11-1 on the season by holding the Trojans to seven hits and three runs over 7.0 innings of work. Ryan Eden paced the Privateer offense with a 4-for-6 day at the plate, while Jeff Lanning and Mark McGonigle drove in three runs a piece. Lanning hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth, and McGonigle added a two-run shot in the ninth.
Tolliver opened the game with five shutout innings before UNO finally scratched across a pair of runs in the sixth. Tolliver wound up with a no decision despite leaving the game with a 3-2 lead after holding the first-place Privateers to eight hits and two runs, with seven strikeouts, over 6.0 innings pitched.
Junior Matt Apfel led the Trojan offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, and drove in three of the team's four runs on the day. Apfel hit his fifth home run of the year in the bottom of the fourth, while senior Robert Taylor hit his team-leading 10th home run in the eighth.
UALR took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after junior Eric Hanlon got the Trojans going with a leadoff double to the right field corner. Hanlon moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior Daniel Guffey, and came around to score on a base knock by Apfel.
Apfel made it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the fourth when he took an offering from Cryer over the wall in center. After going scoreless over the first five innings, though, the Privateers pushed across two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 2-all.
Lanning started things off for UNO with a leadoff single, but Tolliver appeared to have things under control as he got outs from the next two batters on a fielder's choice and a fly out. With T.J. Baxter on first and two outs, McGonigle delivered a run-scoring double to right center to plate Baxter and make it a 2-1 contest. Michael Knipper followed with a base knock through the right side, which allowed McGonigle to score the tying run from second.
UALR reclaimed the lead in the bottom half, as Apfel drove in his third run of the game with a single up the middle. Guffey reached base on a swinging bunt, and moved into scoring position by stealing second base. He went on to score from second on Apfel's base knock to give UALR a 3-2 lead. The Trojans went on to load the bases with two outs in the inning, but Cryer forced UALR to strand three runners by getting a fly out from junior Kody Kroll.
Holding a 3-2 lead, Rominger took the mound at the start of the seventh in relief of Tolliver and pitched a scoreless inning by retiring the Privateers in order. The Trojans weren't as fortunate in the eighth, however, as UNO put up an eight spot to take the lead for good.
A leadoff single by Lanning and a walk by pinch hitter Nick Schwaner put two runners on with one out. Rominger got a ground ball from the next batter (McGonigle), but the Trojans committed an error on the play, allowing Lanning to score the tying run. Senior reliever Steve Gilgenbach took the mound in place of Rominger after the fielding error, but walked the first batter he faced on four-straight pitches to load the bases.
Head coach Jim Lawler went to the bullpen again, removing Gilgenbach after the walk in favor of senior Mike Rogers. With the bases loaded and one out, Rogers allowed a two-run single to the first batter he faced (Eden), which put the Privateers on top for good, 5-3. Josh Vander Hey extended the lead to 7-3 with a two-out, two-run single through the left side, and Lanning put the game out of reach with a three-run homer to right.
Taylor belted his team-leading 10th home run of the year in the bottom of the eighth, a solo shot to left center, but McGonigle answered with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to bring the game to its 12-4 finale.
UALR wraps up the regular season May 15-17 with a three-game series against Arkansas State in Jonesboro.
