One late band doesn’t stop the show from starting. When about 100 New Orleans residents gathered at the St. Charles entrance of Audubon Park — sun blazing — and found the festivities band missing-in-action, they walked to the sounds of their own RaRa chants and carnival radio jams in remembrance of the earthquake in Haiti.

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.

Tulane’s season looked all but over when designated hitter Gunner Wright stepped to the plate in the seventh inning, his team down three runs to the University of Central Florida. A loss would have eliminated the Green Wave from postseason play.