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Baseball Outlasts Wright State, Defeats Raiders 5-4 In 13
March 2, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format
METAIRIE, La. - Rookie right-hander Taylor Rogers threw 3.0 shutout innings of relief and sophomore designated hitter Nate Simon hit an RBI-single to shallow left field with one out in bottom of the 13th as the Tulane University baseball team defeated Wright State, 5-4, Friday evening at Zephyr Field. One of five pitchers used by Tulane on the day, Rogers (1-0) finished with three strikeouts and no walks while allowing just a pair of singles. As a staff, the Green Wave tallied 15 strikeouts, including eight by starter Brandon Gomes. With the win, the Green Wave's third in a row, Tulane improves to 7-4 on the year. Wright State, meanwhile, falls to 2-2. "The story for us positively was pitching," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "Brandon Gomes, Drew Zizinia and Daniel Latham all pitched well, and to see Taylor Rogers do what he did, that's a very, very encouraging thing. We had 10 hits, but we had so many opportunities. I just didn't feel like we had very good at-bats. We won the ballgame because we played well defensively and we pitched really well."
Tulane and Wright State tallied 10 hits each, but it was the Green Wave who got the clutch hit when they needed it. With the score knotted at 4-all after 12 and a half frames, junior second baseman Brad Emaus - who homered in the seventh to even the game at 3-3 - got things going with a leadoff walk. Following a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher Jared Dyer, senior first baseman Tim Guidry followed with a wicked-hop single to third to put runners on the corners. Simon had a chance to be the hero earlier in the game - he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the ninth only to strike out - fell behind in the count 1-2 in the game-deciding at-bat. With a chance to redeem himself, Simon flipped the next Erich Schanz offering high down the left field line. Raiders' third baseman Dan Biedenharn appeared as if he had a chance to make a catch in foul territory, but the ball drifted back toward the field of play and dropped inches inside the foul-line to spark the Tulane celebration. "I was just trying to get the ball up in the air and drive someone in," Simon said. "It was good to have a second chance (to win the game). I was a little upset after the first time." The game, however, belonged to the pitchers. Gomes allowed three runs on five hits while not issuing a walk. Zizinia gave Tulane 1.2 perfect frames, and Latham allowed just one run in his two innings on the hill. The run Latham allowed came in the top of the 10th when second baseman Ross Oeder hit a leadoff single, went to third on a groundout and scored on a two-out single by right fielder Brian Shoup. Tulane answered in the home half of the stanza, however, as sophomore third baseman Seth Henry was hit by a pitch to open the fame, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI-single off the bat of junior shortstop Cat Everett. The Raiders wasted little time getting on the board when Oeder opened the game with a double and scored two hitters later on a sacrifice fly, but Tulane came right back with a leadoff double by sophomore left fielder Anthony Scelfo and a two-out single to left by Emaus. Tulane made it a 2-1 affair in the fourth on a two-out double by Guidry. The Raiders, however, plated a pair of runs on three hits in the sixth, including a triple by Oeder and a double by first baseman Jeremy Hamilton. Emaus' homer, his third of the year, tied the score and set up the extra-innings drama. Both teams had chances to win the game in but Wright State stranded the go-ahead run at third in the top of the ninth and the Green Wave left the bases loaded in the home half of the inning. The Raiders had the go-ahead run at second base in the 12th as Biedenhorn hit a come-backer off Roger's leg and Hamilton was hit by an 0-2 Rogers pitch. The Green Wave freshman was able to get out of the inning with a 4-3 groundout and retired the side in order in the top of the 13th to earn his first collegiate victory. "I felt good," Rogers said. "It was good to go out there and throw strikes after last time. I had a little bit of trouble finding the strike zone early, but I was able to settle down a little bit. (After getting hit in the leg) I kind of had to focus out there a little bit more. It stung me pretty good there, but it made me focus." Like Tulane, Wright State also used five pitchers and the Raiders hurlers finished with 10 Ks - five each by starter Garret Holleran and Nate Stevens. Schanz (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing a run on two hits and three walks in an inning and a third. "When you play a team as well coached as Wright State - they are as well coached as any team I've ever coached against, and I mean that sincerely - you'd better be ready to play," Jones said. We're fortunate to have pitched as well as we did." Tulane and Wright State continue the weekend on Saturday at 2 p.m. and close out the series on Sunday with first pitch slated for noon. For ticket information for this weekend's games, as well as future Green Wave athletic events, please contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE. The Zephyr Field Ticket Office is located on the third-base side of stadium and will open approximately two hours before first pitch for each Tulane home game. |
 
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