The Green Wave lost a rough Saturday game to the University of Texas at San Antonio, but bounced back with a big Sunday rally against University of Southern Mississippi. Then it bounced back with a big Sunday rally.
By the end of the week, the team had climbed back to .500 at 23-23.
UTSA jumped on Tulane right away.
The Roadrunners scored six runs in the first inning and never gave the lead back. Cade Sadler hit a grand slam and Diego Diaz added a two-run home run later in the game.
On Tulane’s side of things, starting pitcher Jake Toporek got just one out before he was pulled. James Agabedis drove in both Tulane runs with a single in the eighth inning, but it was not enough as the final score was 8-2.
The team needed a spark, and it came before Sunday’s first pitch. About 20 minutes before the game, associate head coach Anthony Izzio pulled the players aside for a meeting. Whatever he said worked. Tulane scored five runs in the first inning. Hugh Pinkney hit a two-run home run and Jason Wachs added a sacrifice fly.
UTSA fought back with six runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-5 lead.
Tulane answered fast. Wachs hit a two-run home run later that inning to tie it, and Kaikea Harrison put Tulane ahead for good with a two-run shot in the sixth. The Green Wave added more runs in the seventh and won 12-7.
Two days later, Tulane finished its homestand against No. 12 Southern Miss. Prior to Tuesday, The Green Wave had lost eight straight games to the Golden Eagles.
Tulane fell behind 5-0 early.
Then the bullpen locked in and held Southern Miss to just one more run the rest of the way. Matthias Haas had three hits and three RBIs, including his second home run of the year.
With the game tied 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Johnny Elliott singled with one out. He moved to second on a wild pitch. Then Tanner Chun lined a full-count single through the left side to bring Elliott home for the go-ahead run.
Sam Larson closed the door in the ninth to seal a 7-6 game, Tulane’s first win over Southern Miss since 2018.
Tulane now hits the road once again. The Green Wave will play a three-game series at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from May 1 to May 3. The team will look to carry its momentum from the Southern Miss win into the final stretch of the regular season.