MONROE, La.?ULM
and Western Kentucky split a pair of lopsided games as the teams opened Sun
Belt Conference play Saturday afternoon at Warhawk Field.
The
Warhawks (6-4, 1-1 Sun Belt) took the opener 9-1 behind a masterful performance
on the mound by senior Jared Jennings while the Hilltoppers (6-3, 1-1) took
game two 16-5 behind a 10-strikeout outing by Matt Ridings.
Jennings (1-2) allowed just one run in 8.1
innings of work in his second start of the season. He struck out four batters and didn't allow a
walk; he has not issued a walk in 20.2 innings this season.
In two
starts this year, Jennings
has thrown 16.1 innings striking out 14 and allowing just one run (0.55 ERA).
ULM pounded out 14 hits in the opening
game led by three hits from Jon Prevost, Ben Soignier and Josh Chappell. Nick Maragas went 2-for-3 making his second
start of the season behind the plate.
Prevost and Soignier also had multiple hits in game two and both finished
the day 6-for-10.
The
Warhawks scored nine runs in their final three at-bats turning a 1-0 sixth-inning
deficit into the 9-1 victory.
After
Western Kentucky took a 1-0 lead with four consecutive singles in the fifth
inning, ULM
exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Kyle Suire put
ULM on the
board with a sacrifice fly scoring Prevost.
Dexter Fontenot followed with a pinch-hit two-RBI double off the wall in
left field and Matt Collins extended the Warhawk lead to 4-1 with a single to
left.
Chappell
drove in three runs in the seventh and eight innings with an infield single
scoring Soignier and a rip back up the middle scoring Soignier and Prevost.
Bart Carter
(1-1) suffered his first loss of the season allowing four runs on seven hits in
5.2 innings while fanning six batters.
In the
nightcap, Chad Cregar put the Hilltoppers up 2-0 in the top of the first inning
with a two-run homer. WKU quickly put
the game out of reach with seven runs in the fourth inning sparked by Wade Gaynor hit a two-run home run.
Cregar hit
his second home run of the game with another two-run shot in the seventh.
Ridings
(3-0) picked up the win for WKU allowing two runs -- one earned -- in five innings scattering five hits, while Ryan Kirk (1-1) took the loss for the
Warhawks allowing six runs ? five earned ? on five hits in three innings.
Western Kentucky
pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts in the victory.
The teams
wrap up the three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Josh Lett (1-1, 2.45 ERA) takes the mound for
the Warhawks while the Hilltoppers counter with Matt Hightower (2-0, 1.64 ERA).
