NEW ORLEANS, La. — Tulane scored two runs in the second inning on Saturday and the combination of Alex Byo and Ian Gibaut made it stand, as the Green Wave evened this weekend's series with UTSA with a 2-1 victory in front of 1,858 fans at Turchin Stadium. The setback ended the Roadrunners' winning streak at four games.
UTSA (13-6) was limited to seven hits (six singles) and its lone run came in the seventh.
Tulane (11-10) started the deciding stanza with back-to-back hits. Sean Potkay led off with a double to left and Garrett Cannizaro followed with a single through the left side of the infield. Five pitches later, Andrew Garner hit a sacrifice fly to center, which plated Potkay. Briggs Barrios then followed with a run-scoring single through the middle to push the lead to 2-0.
The Roadrunners threatened a frame later by putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Byo induced a Tony Ramirez ground out to work out of the jam. The Green Wave's right-handed starter went on to allow just one hit over the next three panels.
However, UTSA rallied with two outs in its half of the seventh.
Rodney Garza stroked a single through the middle and Jesse Baker then reached on a throwing error by shortstop Brennan Middleton. Riley Good followed with a base hit to right that brought Garza across the dish and moved Baker to third. Horacio Correa III nearly cleared the bases two pitches later with a shot into the right-center gap, but Brandon Boudreaux made a diving catch to preserve the lead.
Gibaut entered the game in the eighth and yielded just one hit, a single to RJ Perucki, and kept the Birds scoreless the rest of the way.
Byo (2-2) allowed an unearned run on six hits and struck out five in his seven innings. Meanwhile, Gibaut picked up his third save after notching three strikeouts over the final two panels.
Brock Hartson (2-2) was handed the loss after giving up two runs on eight hits in a complete-game effort.
The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday. UTSA will send southpaw Nolan Trabanino (3-1, 2.25 ERA) to the mound. Tulane has not announced its starter.