The Green Wave ends its season with a 25-31 overall record.
The Tulane Green Wave has officially concluded its season on the diamond.
The Sluggerbirds took a 6-5 loss to the Rice Owls in extra innings on Saturday, ultimately being swept in the series. The program ended the year with a 25-31 record, including a 10-17 mark in American Conference play, and failed to reach the league tournament.
Michael Devenney took the loss on the mound for the Green Wave after giving up the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Meanwhile, LuisPablo Navarro put up a strong start on the mound for the visiting squad, pitching 4.2 innings and giving up just four hits and one walk while striking out four batters. The bullpen would struggle heavily from there, with five pitchers combining to give up six runs on six hits with seven walks and three strikeouts. As difficult as that was, five fielding errors would ultimately be the team's downfall.
Tulane grabbed an early lead in the contest after Jason Wachs blasted a two-run home run in the top of the third inning. The team would manage to keep Rice off the board up until the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Owls cut the deficit to 2-1 with a run scored thanks to a single and a throwing error.
The Green Wave would get the run back in the ninth inning on a bases-loaded walk to Jack Johnson, but that 3-1 lead would ultimately be short-lived. Rice found a bit of magic and rallied in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs on an RBI single. Tulane would at least manage to limit the damage there and force extra innings.
Once again, the Sluggerbirds grabbed the advantage to open up the 10th inning of action. Bryson Ayala doubled down the left-field line to drive in Matthias Haas and Tanner Chun, giving his team a 5-3 lead. Rice would plate the two tying runs in the home half of the inning: the first came home from third base on a groundout, and the other was scored on a wild pitch.
Tulane went three and out in the top of the 11th, and the team would ultimately pay for it. Rice captured the victory and the series sweep after Aric Anderson blasted a sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run.
The Green Wave had just six total hits on the afternoon, and no player had more than one hit. Wachs' home run and Ayala's double were the only extra-base hits for the program. However, the team did manage to draw four walks and saw four batters hit by a pitch.
Tulane will now look to rebuild in the offseason, as some players will be out of eligibility and others will likely hit the transfer portal.
