Final Score: New Orleans 6, Vermont 4 | Box Score
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Josh Vander Hay homered and drove in two runs as New Orleans held off Vermont, 6-4, in college baseball Friday night at Maestri Field. The game was the season opener for the Catamounts. Vermont rapped out nine hits and drew four walks in its first outside action of the season. All four runs came with two outs as UVM battled back from a four-run deficit in the eighth before falling to the defending Sun Belt Champion Privateers (3-2) who won their third straight. UNO jumped out early against Cats starter Joe Serafin (Tariffville, Conn.) scoring twice in the bottom of the first and two more in the bottom of the third. Serafin (0-1) went the first four innings allowing six hits and four runs while walking five and striking out five. Just two of the four runs were earned in the junior redshirt lefty's first outing since last March. Vermont got on the board in the second as Justin Milo (Edina, Minn.) doubled to left with two outs and scored on a single up the middle by Jeff Nolet (Concord, Mass.). The cut the deficit in half with a run in the top of the fifth as Kyle Massie (Rutland, Vt.) was hit by a pitch with one down, moved to second on an infield out and came around on a base hit by freshman Matt Duffy (Milton, Mass.). The Privateers made it 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth as Mark McGonigle tripled and scored and they added another run in the seventh on a solo homer by Vander Hay. The Catamounts bounced back in their next at bat on another big hit with two outs. Ethan Paquette (West Burke, Vt.) led with a single and one out later, moved to second on a Nolet single to left field. Brad Currier (Essex Junction, Vt.) moved both runners up with a ground out before a two-run double to left field by Mark Micowski (Haddam, Conn.) plated Paquette and Nolet to make it 6-4. New Orleans closer Ryan O'Shea retired the side in the ninth to pick up his second save. Nolet, who finished last season hitting .455 in his last eight games, went 3-for-4 while Milo and Duffy, two of four players making their UVM debut Friday, both went 2-for-4. In addition to his two-run double, Micowski walked and stole a base. Nate Matusick (Corning, N.Y.) followed Serafin on the mound in the fifth and went three innings giving up four hits and two runs. Sophomore Tom Kelly (Milton, Mass.), a transfer from Suffolk, pitched a scoreless eighth in his first action at Vermont. Stephen Whalen (1-0) went the first six innings for New Orleans allowing six hits, two runs while walking four and striking out nine. Three UNO hurlers combined to strike out 14 Catamounts over the nine innings. In addition to Vander Hay (2-for-3), McGonigle went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Johnny Giavotella added two more of the Privateers 10 hits. Vermont takes on New Orleans in a doubleheader Saturday with game one first pitch slated for 1:00pm (eastern time).
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Josh Vander Hay homered and drove in two runs as New Orleans held off Vermont, 6-4, in college baseball Friday night at Maestri Field. The game was the season opener for the Catamounts. Vermont rapped out nine hits and drew four walks in its first outside action of the season. All four runs came with two outs as UVM battled back from a four-run deficit in the eighth before falling to the defending Sun Belt Champion Privateers (3-2) who won their third straight. UNO jumped out early against Cats starter Joe Serafin (Tariffville, Conn.) scoring twice in the bottom of the first and two more in the bottom of the third. Serafin (0-1) went the first four innings allowing six hits and four runs while walking five and striking out five. Just two of the four runs were earned in the junior redshirt lefty's first outing since last March. Vermont got on the board in the second as Justin Milo (Edina, Minn.) doubled to left with two outs and scored on a single up the middle by Jeff Nolet (Concord, Mass.). The cut the deficit in half with a run in the top of the fifth as Kyle Massie (Rutland, Vt.) was hit by a pitch with one down, moved to second on an infield out and came around on a base hit by freshman Matt Duffy (Milton, Mass.). The Privateers made it 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth as Mark McGonigle tripled and scored and they added another run in the seventh on a solo homer by Vander Hay. The Catamounts bounced back in their next at bat on another big hit with two outs. Ethan Paquette (West Burke, Vt.) led with a single and one out later, moved to second on a Nolet single to left field. Brad Currier (Essex Junction, Vt.) moved both runners up with a ground out before a two-run double to left field by Mark Micowski (Haddam, Conn.) plated Paquette and Nolet to make it 6-4. New Orleans closer Ryan O'Shea retired the side in the ninth to pick up his second save. Nolet, who finished last season hitting .455 in his last eight games, went 3-for-4 while Milo and Duffy, two of four players making their UVM debut Friday, both went 2-for-4. In addition to his two-run double, Micowski walked and stole a base. Nate Matusick (Corning, N.Y.) followed Serafin on the mound in the fifth and went three innings giving up four hits and two runs. Sophomore Tom Kelly (Milton, Mass.), a transfer from Suffolk, pitched a scoreless eighth in his first action at Vermont. Stephen Whalen (1-0) went the first six innings for New Orleans allowing six hits, two runs while walking four and striking out nine. Three UNO hurlers combined to strike out 14 Catamounts over the nine innings. In addition to Vander Hay (2-for-3), McGonigle went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Johnny Giavotella added two more of the Privateers 10 hits. Vermont takes on New Orleans in a doubleheader Saturday with game one first pitch slated for 1:00pm (eastern time).