March 13, 2002

Final Stats

HAMMOND, La. - The Green Wave pitching kept the Lion hitters off balance and Chris Taylor made the most of his first career start as the Tulane University baseball team defeated Southeastern Louisiana 6-1 Wednesday evening at Alumni Field.

Taylor, who came into the game hitting just .125 (1-for-8), went 2-for-4 with a triple, and RBI and two runs scored as the Green Wave's starting first baseman. The combination of Michael Aubrey, Beau Richardson, Kelly Comarda, Will Walter and Joey Charron, meanwhile, kept the Lions' hitters guessing at the plate, limiting Southeastern to four hits and one run in the victory.

With the win, Tulane improves to 12-6 on the year and extends its regular-season winning streak against Louisiana schools to 16 dating back to the 2000 season. Southeastern Louisiana falls to 10-8.

The Green Wave got things going early on as James Jurries and Aubrey drew back-to-back two-out walks, and right fielder Gerald Clark laced a single into left field to plate Jurries and give Tulane a 1-0 lead.

Taylor sparked a two-run second with a one-out triple down the right-field line and came around to score on an RBI groundout by freshman shortstop Tommy Manzella. Centerfielder Jon Kaplan kept the rally going with a single one batter later, stole second, and left fielder Aaron Feldman brought him home with an RBI single to left.

Tulane added a run in the fifth when Kaplan hit a leadoff single, advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw by SLU starter Risley St. Germain and came around to score on a wild pitch.

Then, in the sixth, the Green Wave put a pair of runs on the board when freshman third baseman Brooks Shankle and catcher Scott Madden hit back-to-back singles and Taylor hit an RBI single to left-center field to plate Shankle. Madden was cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice play off the bat of Manzella, but Kaplan would bring Taylor home with an infield single to third to account for Tulane's final run.

But the game belong to the Green Wave pitching as Tulane held the Lions without a run until the eighth when Walter gave up a single to pinch hitter Blaine Wyninger, tossed a pair of wild pitches, and gave up an RBI fielder's choice to third baseman Anthony Krajancic.

Aubrey got the win to improve to 3-0 after giving up just one single and facing the minimum over three innings. Taking the mound with a predetermined pitch count, Aubrey was relieved by Richardson who pitched two innings of no-hit, shutout baseball. Comarda gave up just two singles in two strong innings of work, and Charron pitched a perfect ninth to close things out.

Tulane returns to action on Friday night at Turchin Stadium when the Green Wave opens Conference USA play against league foe Charlotte at 6:30 p.m. The two teams will play again on Saturday at 2 p.m., and close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.