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Feb. 27, 2008

Final Stats |  Quotes

NEW ORLEANS, La. - For nearly three years, Jonathan Garrett's contributions to the Tulane University baseball team were made from the bench and in practice.

But in just his second career start Wednesday night against No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette, he was almost perfect.

Garrett struck out a career-high five batters in 6.0-shutout innings and junior second baseman Anthony Scelfo went 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and two RBI as the Green Wave defeated the Ragin' Cajuns, 10-1, at the new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

"Jonathan Garrett just absolutely set the tone tonight," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "When you throw 6.0 innings against a team as talented as Lafayette and you have an infield single keeping you from a perfect 6.0 innings, you don't do that with mirrors. He threw three pitches in the zone tonight. He changed speeds on his breaking ball and threw it from different angles, and just pounded the strikezone. To do what he did tonight against this kind of club, you just had to really be on top of your game."

After undergoing Tommy John Surgery as a true freshman in 2005, the fourth-year junior from Covington, La., appeared in 13 games in 2006 and saw just 4.2 innings of work last season. On Wednesday, he allowed just one hit - an infield single in the fourth - and did not walk a batter to earn the first win of his career.

He had some help from his defensive mates, who played errorless baseball for the third time in 2008 and turned a double play. With the win, Tulane improves to 5-0 on the young season. Louisiana-Lafayette, meanwhile, falls to 2-3.

"It's been a long road back, coming off of surgery, and it's just great to be able to get back out there and contribute again," Garrett said. "I'm just trying to support the rest of the team as best I could, however I could, and just make sure I keep working hard."

Scelfo, meanwhile, tied a Tulane single-game record with the two triples and was one of eight hitters in the Green Wave starting lineup to post at least one hit. Rookie third baseman Rob Segedin went 2-for-5 with a triple and a pair of runs driven in, and was joined on the two-RBI list by Scelfo and junior centerfielder Aja Barto.

Tulane wasted little time jumping on the Cajuns with single runs in the first two innings courtesy of an RBI by Barto and junior first baseman Sam Honeck, respectively. In the third, however, the Green Wave exploded for four runs to blow the game open.

Junior catcher Steve Moritz, who made his first career Division I start on Wednesday, opened the fourth with a single, junior right fielder Drew Allain followed with a fielder's choice and Scelfo drove him in with an RBI single up the middle. A double by Barto put a pair of runners in scoring position and a walk to junior left fielder Warren McFadden loaded the bases. Junior designated hitter Andrew Rodgers pushed the lead to 4-0 with a walk of his own, and Segedin capped the frame with a two-run single through the right side of the infield.

Tulane padded the lead with two more runs in the fourth on an RBI triple by Scelfo and a sacrifice fly by Barto, and made it 9-0 one stanza later when Moritz lifted a sacrifice fly to right. The Green Wave plated their 10th run in the bottom of the eighth when pinch hitter Grayden Griener scored on a botched double-play relay throw by UL-Lafayette second baseman Matt Hicks.

"Forget about the bats," Scelfo said. "We could have scored one or two runs. (Garrett) wasn't giving up anything the way he pitched tonight. He had a great night tonight. He's been doing that this spring - though the preseason, intrasquads - he's been showing that and he just kept doing what he's been doing. I thought he had a great night tonight."

Freshman right-hander Nick Pepitone replaced Garrett to start the seventh and responded by pitching his way around a walk, and sophomore righty Taylor Rogers allowed a double and struck out a batter in a scoreless eighth. The lone blemish on the scoreboard for Tulane came in the ninth when reserve designated hitter Cy Primeaux ripped a two-out RBI single to left off Segedin to account for the final score.

Tulane returns to action on Friday, Feb. 29, when the Green Wave open play in 2008 Dairy Queen Invitational against Pepperdine at 12 p.m. in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The Invitational continues on Saturday when the Green Wave take on host Minnesota at 6:30 p.m., and Tulane closes out tourney play on Sunday against TCU with first pitch slated for 11 a.m.

The Green Wave's next home game is slated for Tuesday, March 4 when Tulane opens Wow Café & Wingery Cup play against cross-town foe UNO at 6 p.m. For ticket information, contact the Tulane University Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE or go on-line at www.TulaneGreenWave.com.