C-USA Baseball Game Six: Tulane 5, UCF 2 - CONFERENCEUSA.COM - The Official Athletic site of The Conference USA

C-USA Baseball Game Six: Tulane 5, UCF 2
Trailing 2-0 After Five, Tulane plated two in the sixth, one in the eight and two more in the ninth

	Jared Dyer

May 23, 2008

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NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane Freshman Rob Segedin tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief and junior second baseman Seth Henry broke open a close game with a two-run homer in the ninth as the third-seeded Tulane defeated No. 7 seed UCF, 5-2, in day three of the 2008 Entergy Conference USA Baseball Championship at the new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

Trailing 2-0 after five innings, Tulane plated two in the sixth, one in the eight and two more in the ninth to rally for the win. Segedin allowed just one hit, and the Green Wave were turned a season-high four double plays.

The two teams were locked in a pitcher's duel over the first three innings as UCF starter Mitch Herold and Tulane sophomore southpaw Matt Petiton combined to allow just five base runners over the first 18 outs. It was the Knights, however, that drew first blood as Kiko Vazquez was hit by a pitch to leadoff the fourth and Shane Brown hammered a two-run home to dead center to stake the Knights to a 2-0 advantage.

Following a scoreless fifth, Tulane knotted the score when junior catcher Jared Dyer hit a bases-loaded, two-run single to left. The Wave had a chance to add more with bases loaded with only one out following Dyer's hit, but Austin Hudson came out of the bullpen to get a fielder's choice ground ball and a line-out to short to get out of the inning without any further damage done.

UCF had a chance to break the deadlock in the bottom of the seventh as Dwayne Bailey and Colin Arnold hit back-to-back, two-out singles back up the box, but Segedin made the move from third to the mound and got Vazquez to pop up to short to end the threat.

After recording the final out of the seventh, Segedin got things going in the top of the ninth with a leadoff single to shallow right and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Dyer. UCF elected to intentionally walk junior first baseman Sam Honeck, and junior right fielder Drew Allain followed with an infield single to load the bases.

From there, junior Scott Powell - who entered the game in left when Segedin came to the mound - hit an RBI-fielder's choice to second to plate Segedin from third.

Henry's homer gave Tulane a little breathing room, but the Knights started the ninth on a positive note as reserve designated hitter Chris Duffy walked on five pitches. Segedin fell behind 2-0 to the next batter, but bounced back to get UCF shortstop Eric Kallstrom to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play and retired Tyson Auer on a come-backer to the mound to clinch the victory.

With the win, Tulane (37-19-1) advances to play the loser of today's Southern Miss/Marshall contest on Saturday at 9 a.m. UCF, meanwhile, is eliminated from tournament play and concludes its season at 31-27.