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Early Lead Does Not Hold As Baseball Falls At Minnesota, 7-5
March 1, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Sophomore southpaw Aaron Loup struck out six while freshman third baseman Rob Segedin and junior first baseman Sam Honeck posted two hits apiece, but it was not enough as the Tulane University baseball team dropped a 7-5 decision to host Minnesota in day two of the Dairy Queen Baseball Classic Saturday evening at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Tulane led 5-2 after six and a half innings, but the Gophers plated a single run in the seventh and hung a four-spot in the eighth to account for the final score. With the loss, the Green Wave fall to 5-2 on the year. Minnesota, meanwhile, improves to 1-4. The Green Wave had a chance to make some noise in the top of the ninth as junior second baseman Anthony Scelfo drew a one-out walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Gophers' closer Seth Rosin, however, came on to post a strikeout and got junior catcher Jared Dyer to fly out deep to right to earn his first save of the year. The loss overshadowed a solid start by Loup and another good showing out of the bullpen by rookie right-hander Nick Pepitone. Loup allowed a pair of runs on four hits and walked just one in 6.0 innings. Pepitone, meanwhile, was able to thwart the late-inning rally by getting a ground-ball fielder's choice and a double-play ball to end the eighth. Dyer extended his hitting streak to five with a single in the second inning and tallied a pair of RBI on the day. Minnesota got on the board first with a run in the second, but Tulane answered in the top of the third when junior centerfielder Aja Barto drew a bases-loaded walk and Dyer hit a sacrifice fly to center. The Wave padded their lead win the fourth when junior left fielder Warren McFadden hit a leadoff double and scored on a one-out single off the bat of sophomore shortstop Josh Prince to make it 3-1. A one-out RBI double by Gophers first baseman Joe Maciej in the bottom of the fourth made it a one-run game, but Tulane added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on an RBI-groundout by Dyer and a run-scoring single by junior right fielder Drew Allain, respectively. The score remained 5-2 until the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitter Eric Decker drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Minnesota centerfielder Matt Nohelty to make it a two-run ballgame. The bottom of the eight started innocently enough with a ground ball to third, but the throw was wide of the bag and Kyle Knudson reached safely via error. On the very next pitch, the ballgame was tied as right fielder Mike Kvasnicka hammered a Josh Zeid offering out of the ballpark for a two-run homer. Minnesota shortstop Derek McCallum singled to chase Zeid from the game, but Decker singled and designated hitter Jeff DeSmidt walked to load the bases. Nohelty followed with a two-run single through the right side of the infield to cap the four-run stanza. Luke Rasmussen (1-0) got the win for the Gophers after walking one and posting a strikeout in 1.1 shutout innings and Rosin retired both men he faced to earn the save. Zeid (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks in one-plus innings. The Green Wave return to action on Sunday when they close out play in the DQ Classic with an 11 a.m. showdown vs. TCU. Sunday's will be broadcast on the flagship station of Tulane baseball, WRBH 88.3 FM, and will be simulcast on the internet on www.TulaneGreenWave.com to paid members of the All-Access Pass. Tulane'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.
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