NEW ORLEANS – For the 20th time in 29 all-time meetings, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and New Orleans baseball teams finished a game separated by two or fewer runs. But for the first time during their three-game series that began Friday, the Islanders were on the wrong end when it was over.
The Privateers scored three runs in the first inning Sunday at Maestri Field and made it hold up, beating the Islanders 5-3 in the series finale. However, the Islanders still won the series after taking 2-0 and 11-6 victories in the first two games, allowing TAMU-CC to pick up a game on New Orleans in the Southland Conference standings.
The Islanders (21-27 overall, 9-9 SLC) are now just a half-game behind UIW for fourth place and 1.5 games behind New Orleans (24-19, 9-6) for third with six conference games remaining.
The Privateers took their first lead of the series in the first inning against
Zach Garcia, scoring three times on four singles and an error, leading to two unearned runs.
"UNO had a good first inning," TAMU-CC coach
Scott Malone said. "They were ready to hit against our best starter. They built a nice lead for sure, but we had plenty of chances to get even."
The Islanders answered back immediately, scoring a run in the top of the second when
Chance Reisdorph – the offensive hero from the day before when he homered twice and drove in six runs – reached on an error and eventually moved to third with one out.
Stephen Hom then slapped a single through the right side, driving in Reisdorph with the first run.
New Orleans matched that run in the bottom of the second, but once again the Islanders fought back.
With two outs,
Josh Blount reached on an error, stole second, then went to third on a wild pitch. That brought Reisdorph back to the plate, and after apparently striking out on a check swing before it was ruled he did not swing, he smacked a double to left-center to drive in Blount.
The Islanders almost had another run the same inning, soon after
Cole Modgling reached on a double … to first base.
Modgling hit a high bouncer just behind first base and beat the first baseman to the bag. With Reisdorph heading to third, no one from New Orleans rotated over to cover second, which Modgling alertly noticed and scampered into second.
The next pitch to
Christian Smith-Johnson was wild, and Reisdorph broke for home. Reisdorph appeared to sneak his hand to the plate before the tag, but he was called out on the close play. After an extensive review, the call was upheld, ending the inning.
Reisdorph left nothing to chance – so to speak – in the top of the sixth, when he destroyed a breaking ball that disappeared beyond the berm in left field. The solo home run was his third in two games, doubling his career total to six in the span of just seven at-bats.
Reisdorph finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. For the series, the junior catcher was 7-for-12 with three home runs, a double, seven runs scored and nine RBIs.
"
Chance Reisdorph had a big weekend," Malone said. "He was a big part of us winning another road series."
New Orleans added a run in the seventh to make it 5-3. The Islanders had their chances late, getting two runners on in each of the seventh and eighth innings, but both were stranded each inning. TAMU-CC then had their top two hitters up in the ninth, but New Orleans was able to hold on.
"They had to navigate (Garrett) Gruell and Blount in the seventh, and then they had to navigate (Issac) Webb and (Sebastian) Trinidad in the ninth," Malone said. "It was a good baseball game today. We just came up a hit or two short."
Webb saw his 16-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-4 day, but he still reached base in his 17th consecutive game. Trinidad also increased his streak of reaching base to 14 games.
The Islanders collected nine hits as a team, as Modgling joined Reisdorph with two hits. Modgling, Reisdorph and Gruell all had doubles, while Trinidad, Smith-Johnson, Hom and
Drake Kerr all had singles.
Garcia (4-1) settled down after his rough first inning, giving up four runs (just two earned) on eight hits in six innings.
Austin Dean gave up a run in an inning and a third, and
Joshua Flaugher finished up for the Islanders by getting two outs on just two pitches.
TAMU-CC will play its final conference series at home this Friday-Sunday against McNeese. After a conference bye week, the Islanders will finish the regular season with a series on the road against Southeastern on May 16-18. McNeese and Southeastern are the bottom two teams in the conference standings.
TAMUCC (21-27, 9-9 SLC)
Friday, April 26 – vs. New Orleans, W (2-0)
Saturday, April 27 – vs. New Orleans, W (11-6)
Sunday, April 28 – vs. New Orleans, L (5-3)
On Deck: The Islanders will return home on Friday to begin a three-game conference series with McNeese at Chapman Field. The teams will play at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 5.
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