UNO blasts four HRs

Published 9:53 am Sunday, April 10, 2022

From staff reports

NEW ORLEANS — For a second consecutive game, the New Orleans Privateers used a big first inning to put McNeese State in a hole the Cowboys couldn’t dig out.

The Privateers scored five runs in the opening inning en route to an 11-2 victory Saturday to extend their winning streak to three. UNO goes for the three-game sweep of the Southland Conference series at 1 p.m. today.

The Privateers (18-10, 5-3 SLC), who have won five of their last six games, have won four of the last five meetings with McNeese. They have scored 10 runs or more in five of their last seven games.

The Cowboys (16-15, 3-5) have lost three of their last four games.

UNO outhit McNeese 15-5 with seven extra-base hits, including four home runs — two by Issac Williams, the first in the third inning and the other in the seventh.

Anthony Herron and Miguel Useche had three hits and two RBIs apiece for the Privateers. Herron hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and Useche hit a two-run double in the first and a fourth-inning triple.

Eight of the nine Privateers had at least one hit.

Pearce Howard and Travis Gober had two hits each. Andrew Guidry drove in four runs, three coming when he launched a first-inning home run.

Brandon Mitchell (1-3) went the distance for UNO, surrendering two runs on five hits. He was supported by four double plays.

Ty Abraham (2-4), the first of five McNeese pitchers, lasted one inning, getting lit up for five runs on four hits. Burrell Jones fared no better as he was touched for three runs on four hits.

Brad Burckel, who had two hits, accounted for both McNeese runs with a two-run homer in the sixth.