Tulane’s season turned from optimistic to bleak within the first 35 minutes of Saturday’s season finale. The University of Central Florida scored six runs in the first inning, a lead that expanded into a 17-6 season-ending loss for the Green Wave at Turchin Stadium.

The loss breaks a streak of 21 consecutive postseason appearances for Tulane. Even before 1996, when the Conference USA tournament was created, the Green Wave had played in postseason baseball since 1989. Not this year.

“I’ve never thought of it before,” said coach Rick Jones of missing the tournament. “This is a first. I don’t know what to say right now other than it’s unacceptable.”

What made the season-ending loss even worse was that Tulane received the help it needed to reach the tournament. Both East Carolina and Rice won their final games of the season, which was more than the Green Wave needed. A win by either team could have sent Tulane to the conference tournament in Houston next week. But Tulane didn’t keep up its end of the deal.

Starter Matt Petiton struggled from the first pitch.

He gave up two hits before center fielder Ronnie Richardson came to the plate. Richardson hit a three-run homer to left center. It was only the beginning, as the next four batters reached base before Petiton recorded his only two outs of the game.

“I felt like no matter how good of a pitch I threw, they got a barrel on it,” Petiton said. “I envision something completely different, but this is a tough day.”

Tulane (32-24, 10-14 in Conference USA) did score two runs in the bottom of the first to give temporary hope to the 2,727 fans who came expecting the Green Wave to beat a UCF team (33-22, 10-14 in Conference USA) that already knew its season was over.

But the pitching woes continued throughout the game.

Here’s what the band of relievers did for six innings: Gunner Wright gave up four runs. Drew Zizinia allowed two runs. Preston Claiborne offered up three runs. And Nate Fury let two Knights cross the plate.

For Jones, it wasn’t just that the Green Wave lost two games out of the three-game series to end its season. He knows that his team isn’t going to win every series, but it was how his team lost that surprised him. Of the 25 innings played in the three games, UCF scored in 20 innings.

“I know the players are disappointed, but we have to play better,” Jones said. “The numbers don’t lie, and it starts on the mound.”

The fans were disappointed, too. They started to leave in the top of the seventh inning after UCF left fielder Chris Duffy hit a grand slam to give the Knights an 11-run lead, which allowed the game to end after seven innings based on the 10-run mercy rule.

“We have to learn from it,” catcher Jeremy Schaffer said of the disappointment. “The next season starts today, and we have to start working toward that goal.”

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