Seven-run ninth lifts Knights over Gold Rush
SUNO scores seven in the final frame to erase a two-run deficit and stun Xavier (LA) at Skelly Rupp Stadium
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
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Game Recap · March 17, 2026 · HBCUAC Baseball KNIGHTS RALLY IN THE NINTH SUNO scores seven in the final frame to erase a two-run deficit and stun Xavier (LA) at Skelly Rupp Stadium |
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VENUE Skelly Rupp Stadium · New Orleans, LA FIRST PITCH 6:00 PM CT DURATION 2:46 ATTENDANCE 143 WIN Valentin Jaquez (1-0) LOSS Charles Carter (1-1) |
They were down two runs heading into the ninth, staring at an unfamiliar Xavier club that had seized control with back-to-back two-run frames. Then the Southern University at New Orleans Knights remembered who they were.
Behind a seven-run ninth inning capped by a Christian Soto triple and fueled by five walks, a hit batsman, two RBI hits, and a crucial error, the Knights erupted for a 9-4 come-from-behind victory Tuesday night at Skelly Rupp Stadium. SUNO improves to 8-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
The win was the program's most dramatic of the young season — a nine-batter frame against a Xavier bullpen that had little left to give, and a statement that this Knights club refuses to fold.
LINE SCORE
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
SUNO Knights |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
9 |
8 |
0 |
|
Xavier Gold Rush |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
10 |
2 |
KEY MOMENTS
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4th Inn. |
JIMENEZ CASHES IN FIRST RUN SUNO broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when Miles Bowens worked a walk, promptly stole second, and came home on a sacrifice fly to right by Dylan Jimenez. The Knights held a 1-0 edge, with Bowens' baserunning setting the tone for the aggressive, pressure-first ball SUNO would play all night. |
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5th Inn. |
SHEPHERD BUNTS SUNO TO 2-0 Peyton Strahan reached on a leadoff single, advanced on a passed ball, and moved to third on a pitcher's error. Kyler Shepherd delivered a perfectly placed bunt single to drive in Strahan and push the lead to 2-0, capitalizing on Xavier's shaky defense. |
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6th–7th |
XAVIER FLIPS THE SCRIPT, TAKES 4-2 LEAD Xavier answered with back-to-back two-run frames to seize the lead. In the sixth, Kai Higginson doubled to center and scored on a Paul Ramseur single before Lawrence Steed singled home Ramseur to tie things at 2. Then in the seventh, Bryce Thomas scored on an Ashton Celestine sacrifice fly and Jeremy Clark crossed the plate on a Jayden Smith single — giving Xavier a 4-2 advantage. |
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9th Inn. |
THE FLOODGATES OPEN — SEVEN-RUN NINTH Down two with their season's momentum hanging, SUNO constructed one of its most memorable rallies of the year. Donovan Hill and Dylan Jimenez drew back-to-back walks to begin the frame. After a bunt moved both runners up, Peyton Strahan lofted a sacrifice fly to score the first run. A hit-by-pitch, a Kyler Shepherd walk, and a Danny Aleaga Fonseca RBI single tied the game at 4. Then Christian Soto unloaded — a three-run triple to left center that turned a tie game into a 7-4 lead. Miles Bowens stole two bases on the night, and a two-run scoring error on a Donovan Hill groundball put the final touches on an unforgettable rally. |
IN THE DUGOUT
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"That's who we are. When we're down in the late innings, we don't put our heads down — we trust the process, we trust each other, and we put together at-bats. Seven runs in the ninth doesn't happen by accident. That's a team that believes." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
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"Christian Soto's triple was the big swing, but what made that inning possible was the at-bats before it. We had guys take walks, move runners, put the ball in play under pressure. That kind of discipline late in the game is something we've been building toward." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
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"Give our pitching staff credit too. Herazo gave us six solid innings and kept us in the game when Xavier was making noise. Then Jaquez came in and shut the door. We're going to need that depth as we push through conference play." — Olen Parker, Jr. · Head Coach, SUNO Baseball |
TOP PERFORMERS
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SUNO KNIGHTS |
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XAVIER GOLD RUSH |
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PITCHING SUMMARY
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SUNO Knights
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Xavier Gold Rush
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UP NEXT
The Knights return to action this weekend in a series against Huston-Tillotson University, a matchup with West Division implications as the conference race begins to take shape. Tuesday's win over Xavier was a non-conference contest, but make no mistake — it sent a message.
The 2025 HBCUAC Runners-Up are not a team to be overlooked. SUNO has now shown it can manufacture seven runs in a single inning, battle back from a multi-run deficit, and grind through adversity the way champions do. As conference play heats up, the rest of the West Division has been put on notice.