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Pitching Pushes Baseball Past North Florida In Series Finale, 5-1
Feb. 18, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format METAIRIE, La. - Right-handers Shooter Hunt and Daniel Latham combined for 14 strikeouts and the Green Wave offense scratched out single runs in five of the eight innings they drew an at-bat as the Tulane University baseball team completed a three-game sweep of North Florida with a 5-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Zephyr Field. Hunt (1-1), a sophomore transfer from the University of Virginia, posted a career-best 10 strikeouts in a 5.2-inning start to earn his first collegiate victory. Latham, meanwhile, pitched Tulane out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and fanned four of the final six batters he faced to pick up his first save of the 2007 season. "Shooter pitched so well," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "He had command of the strike zone with both his fast ball and his breaking ball, and they were both plus pitches. When you have a senior like Daniel who has had the career he's had down in the bullpen, that's a comforting situation. He had a really, really dominant fast ball today. You can tell he was rested because his ball was really jumping out of his hand." While Hunt and Latham had things under control on the mound, the Green Wave offense was equally up to the task with 11 hits, including three-hit, two-RBI outings by sophomore left fielder Anthony Scelfo and junior second baseman Brad Emaus. Scelfo had the team's only extra-base hit - an RBI-triple in the sixth.
Tulane, however, found ways to generate runs throughout the ballgame as the boys in olive green and sky blue finished the day with four sacrifice bunts and a pair of stolen bases. "We won the game today the way we're going to have to win most games and that's with pitching and defense," Jones said. "We moved runners along and had timely hits. Yesterday (when the Green Wave tallied 20 runs on 17 hits) is not going to happen very often. (The way we played on) Friday and Sunday is the way we're going to play the game. The commitment we showed today, I thought, was good." The Green Wave wasted little time getting on the board as junior first baseman Tim Guidry posted an RBI-single in the first, Sceflo drove in a run with a base hit in the second, and Emaus plated sophomore right fielder Warren McFadden with a single in the third. Hunt, meanwhile, retired the first 11 batters he faced and had a no-hitter going through 4.2 innings. He gave up just three hits on the day, two which came with two away in the fifth, and allowed one run while issuing just one walk during his time on the mound. "I thought I could throw any pitch on any count, which was key," Hunt said. "We wanted to get ahead from the start, and once I got ahead, I was able to finish things up with my breaking ball. In the fall and early this spring, I didn't think I had a real good feel for my breaking ball, but today it was sharp. I was able to throw my fastball on either side of the plate and I felt like I could throw whatever I wanted." Hunt left the game with two on and two out in the sixth after getting hit in the back by a come-backer off the bat of UNF designated hitter Brandon Diaz, but junior right-hander Trey Martin was able to get out of the jam with only one run scoring to keep Tulane ahead 3-1. Tulane got the run back in the home half of the inning courtesy of Scelfo's triple to center, but the Ospreys had something going in the top of the seventh. North Florida first baseman Jimmy Glanville opened the frame with a double and right fielder Jon Dandridge followed with an apparent RBI-double to right which would have cut the lead to 4-2. Glanville, however, missed third on his way home and was called out on an appeal play. Not discouraged by the base-running miscue, UNF kept the pressure on as shortstop Mycal Jones singled in the ensuing at-bat and second baseman Chad Knight walked with two away to load the bases. From there, Jones brought in Latham, who responded by getting three-hole hitter Damon Olito to fly out harmlessly to left and the Osprey never threatened again. Latham struck out the first two batters of the eighth and the final two in the ninth to close out the ballgame. "It's the same situation I've been in a ton during my career," Latham said. "It's not a new situation for me, but it was the first time this year. I knew I had to go out there, get the guy out, pick up Trey, get out of the inning and keep the lead for us." The Tulane offense gave Latham a little breathing room in the eighth when Scelfo hit a leadoff single, advanced the bases on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Cat Everett and a wild pitch, and scored on a clutch, two-out single by Emaus to account for the final score. Ospreys' starter John Atteo (0-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks while striking out two in 4.2 innings. Travis Martin pitched well out of the bullpen but allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over the final 3.1 frames. Tulane returns to action on Friday, Feb. 23, when the Green Wave travel to Los Angeles, Calif., to open a three-game weekend slate against Southern Cal. Season tickets as well as tickets to next weekend's series against the Trojans remain for sale through the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office and can be picked up in person on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center, via the internet at www.TulaneGreenWave.com or over the phone at 504-861-WAVE. |
 
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