Green Wave sinks Pirates again

From electronic and staff reports
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David Napoli hurled seven steady innings and his offense eventually came up with enough runs to back him up as Tulane pulled off its second straight upset of East Carolina Saturday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

A junior southpaw, Napoli (6-2) surrendered two runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batsman over seven innings, giving the Green Wave enough time to establish the lead for good en route to the 4-2 Conference USA victory.

Tulane (29-14, 7-7 C-USA) got on the scoreboard first when Sean Potkay  homered to left center to lead off the second inning.

The Pirates (27-16-1, 9-7-1) responded in the bottom of the inning with their only two runs of the game when junior outfielder John Wooten and senior catcher Zach Wright scored on sophomore first baseman Chase McDonald's single up the middle. Wooten had gotten on base when he was dinged by Napoli and moved to second on a single to left by Wright. Wooten and Wright each advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Jack Reinheimer before coming home on McDonald's hit.

ECU starter Tyler Joyner, a junior leftie, maintained the 2-1 lead until the sixth when Tulane manufactured a pair of runs, both unearned, on three hits, an error and a sacrifice fly. Brennan Middleton singled to left and Brandon Boudreaux reached on an errored fielder's choice to get the rally going. Garrett Cannizaro followed with a bunt single to load the bases. Nick Schneeberger's infield single scored Middleton and pushed Boudreaux and Cannizaro ahead a base. Boudreauz came home on Jeremy Schaffer's line-out sacrifice fly to left field, which resulted in a double play when Wooten cut down Cannizaro at second.

Joyner (5-2) was relieved by sophomore righthander Tanner Merritt after Middleton walked to start the eighth and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Boudreaux. Middleton moved to third on a groundout and then scored on a Schneeberger single up the middle. Schneeberger was the only batter to reach base against Merritt, who got Schaffer on a popup to end the frame and then retired the Wave in order in the ninth.

Sophomore righthander Alex Facundus and and senior righthander D.J. Ponder each pitched a shutout inning to close out the triumph for Tulane.

The Wave toppled East Carolina 4-2 in Friday's series opener. The Pirates will try to avoid the sweep on Sunday (11:30 a.m.)

PAGE UPDATED 04/29/12 03:36 AM.

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