The 2017 season had a rough start for Tulane baseball (3-11). It lost the first two games in a four-game series against the San Diego Toreros (9-3) on Thursday and Friday, losing 11-4 and 7-4, respectively at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

The Green Wave entered the series after snapping a losing streak against the West Virginia Mountaineers, going 2-1 in the home series. Tulane lost the final game against West Virginia 18-5 after the Mountaineers put up 13 points in 4 innings. The Wave was looking to avoid falling back into another skid after losing seven straight before facing West Virginia.

On Thursday, San Diego would score first in the second inning, but a RBI by senior infielder Hunter Williams and senior outfielder Jarret DeHart gave Tulane a 2-1 lead in the third. The Toreros would respond with a clinic, scoring 10 points through the sixth to eighth innings to make it 11-2, giving San Diego a lead it would not relinquish. Redshirt junior outfielder Grant Brown would hit an RBI double to drive home two more runs, but the Wave could not pull off the comeback, losing 11-4.

Freshman pitcher Chase Solesky started for the Wave and lasted through 6 innings, the longest of his three starts. He threw two strikeouts and allowed only two runs. Redshirt senior pitcher Christian Colletti came in in the sixth and allowed three runs in the sixth.

Looking to avenge Thursday’s loss, Tulane matched San Diego early on, and the score was tied at 2-2 after four innings thanks to two-run home run and sophomore outfielder Grant Witherspoon. When a solo home run senior infielder Hunter Hope gave Tulane its first lead of the series, San Diego responded in a similar fashion to Thursday’s game. Through the sixth to eighth innings, the Toreros scored five runs giving it a solid lead that held for the remainder of the game. The final run was scored through a Hope RBI double that drove senior infielder Jake Willsey home. This run was not enough to close the point gap leading to Tulane’s loss,  7-4.

For the second game, the Wave started with senior pitcher Corey Merrill, who pitched seven innings, throwing 124 pitches and giving up seven hits and striking out seven players. Colletti and freshman pitcher Jack Hogan would finish out the game, each allowing one run.

The Green Wave will wrap up its series against the Toreros through Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. Both games will begin at 1 p.m. at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.