Ninth Inning Explosion by Tulane Puts Away FAU, 12-4

It almost seemed like the Tulane baseball team had something to prove on Sunday. After waiting eight innings to get anything of significance going on Saturday, right fielder Jason Wachs, the second batter of the game Sunday, sent a rocket over the right field fence to give the Green Wave a lead it would never relinquish in its 12 - 4 victory over Florida Atlantic. The win kept the Wave from getting swept by FAU.

Sunday starting pitcher J.D. Rodriguez gave up some insignificant hits early on, inconsequential because of some outstanding defense, especially when Owls were on the bases in the second frame. The first from third baseman James Agabedis III who dove to stop a possible double near third base for a touch-third-base out. Then, 2nd baseman Nate Johnson climbed the ladder to snare a line drive, leaving a pair of FAU base runners stranded.

Rodriguez didn't allow any of FAU hits to bother him, as he scattered 7-hits over his 4-innings of work while giving up one run and not walking anybody. The senior righty gave up back-to-back singles to start the 5th before coach Jay Uhlman came to the hill to replace Rodriguez with Blaise Wilcenski. The redshirt senior gave up a single to score a run, but settled down for a force out and back-to-back strikeouts to end the Owls threat.

First baseman Trent Liolios continues to be hot in Conference play, going 3-for-4 at the plate Sunday with a double and three RBI. Agabedis produced at the plate as well, smashing his fourth home run of the year in the fourth inning with Kaikea Harrison on first base, increasing Tulane's lead to a 5-nothing advantage.

Though FAU closed the gap to a 6-4 Green Wave advantage by the end of the eighth, much like Saturday night, the Tulane bats exploded in the final frame, this time while the Owls imploded.

The Green Wave cycled through four Florida Atlantic pitchers in the top of the ninth before FAU could record an out. Wave batters walked twice, slapped a double, two singles, and a triple to double their run output. Adding to the pitching woes of walks and wild pitches, the FAU defense committed an error and the Owl catcher got lost on a bunt, allowing a hit and loading the bases. Catcher Hugh Pinkney was the owner of the aforementioned triple that cleared the bases, as Tulane lineup batted around to take a 12-4 lead.

The Green Wave defense was on again, off again. The TU infield turned three double plays and flashed some impressive leather especially early in the game, but those same infielders committed four errors in the last four innings of the game to make things closer than what it should have been.

The victory by Tulane puts them at 7-8 in the American and pushes the Wave up the American Conference standings into the sixth slot, just a game ahead of the team that took the series from the Wave this weekend, Florida Atlantic.

This weekend, the top team in the league comes to Uptown, as Texas-San Antonio comes to Turchin Stadium for a three game set.

Before that key American series, the Green Wave will be in Hattiesburg for a mid-week game against Top-25 ranked Southern Miss at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. There'll be a rematch between those two a week later in Uptown at Turchin.