LAFAYETTE, La.?Dexter
Fontenot hit two home runs and ULM
roughed up Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year Danny Farquhar as the
Warhawks blasted Louisiana-Lafayette 15-6 Saturday afternoon at Tigue Field to
even the conference series at a game apiece.
Fontenot, a native a nearby Gonzales, La.,
hit a home run in Friday's series opener and drove in a career-high seven runs on
Saturday playing in front of nearly 30 family and friends. He finished the game 4-for-5 and came within
five feet of hitting his third homer of the game, which would have been a grand
slam, in the top of the ninth.
The Warhawks (21-12, 13-4 Sun Belt) touched up Farquhar for
a career-high eight runs in just 3.2 innings.
It is the second straight game that ULM has battered Ragin' Cajuns (17-16,
8-9) pitching. Last night ULM scored a season-high
six runs on Preseason All-Conference and Sun Belt ERA leader Hunter Moody in
five innings.
After Farquhar struck out the first two batters of the
fourth inning, he hit ULM
designated hitter Jon Prevost in the head and then hit Ben Soignier in the elbow. Kyle Suire drew a walk setting up a bases
loaded situation for Fontenot.
The Warhawks hot hitter of the weekend doubled to left field
clearing the bases.
ULM's next batter A.J. Siggers drew a
walk and Ryan McMillan laced a double down the line in left scoring both
Fontenot and Siggers pushing the lead out to 9-4. McMillan finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs and
Siggers was 2-for-5 with three runs scored.
Through the first two games of the series the Warhawks have
scored 25 runs and pounded out 26 hits against Louisiana-Lafayette who entered
the week leading the Sun Belt in ERA (4.61) and batting average against (.266) ?
ULM is hitting
.342 in the series.
Nick Maragas kept the pressure on leading off the fifth
inning with a double off the wall in right center. Matt Laird singled to put runners on the
corners and Soignier scored Maragas with a fielder's choice to short.
Fontenot then took a 2-0 fastball off Cajun reliever Gregory
Harmon over the wall in left field for a three-run blast extending the lead out
to 13-4. His first home run of the game
gave the Warhawks a 3-1 lead in the third inning taking a Farquhar fastball of
the scoreboard in left field.
This is the fifth time this season that a ULM player has two home runs in a game, with
all five coming in Sun Belt Conference play.
After taking a hard-luck loss in the opener, ULM closer Derek Ward
(4-1) threw the final five innings of the game allowing just two hits and
striking out six. He picked up his fourth
win of the season and third in Sun Belt play.
Ward entered the game in relief of Drew Graham in the fifth
inning. Graham went four innings
allowing six runs ? three earned ? scattering five hits and striking out four.
Farquar (3-5) took the loss and the ULL bullpen gave up
seven runs ? six earned ? on eight hits over the final 5.1 innings.
The teams play the rubber game of the series tomorrow
afternoon at 1:00 p.m. The Warhawks will
send Josh Lett (5-1, 3.32) to the mound while the Cajuns counter with Michael
Cook (4-2, 4.50).
