BOWLING GREEN, Ky.?Western Kentucky scored four runs over over its final two at-bats to escape with an 8-5 victory over ULM in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both clubs at Nick Denes Field Friday night.
The Warhawks (6-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) took a 5-4 lead after scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning, but the Hilltoppers (7-2, 1-0) answered with three of their own in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth.
Western Kentucky loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh on a double, a ULM throwing error and a hit by pitch. Jake Wells tied the game with a single through the right side of the Warhawk infield. Matt Rice then scored the winning run on a fielder's choice and Matt Payton pushed the lead to 7-5 scoring on a wild pitch. Chad Cregar extended the lead to 8-5 with a solo home run in the eighth inning.
The Hilltoppers broke through first with a run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single by Jeremy Coleman.
ULM answered with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-1 lead. Ryan McMillan put the Warhawks on the board with a sacrifice fly to left scoring Ben Soignier, who led off the fourth inning drawing a walk. Soignier then gave the Warhawks the lead in the fifth with single to score Boomer Blanchard.
WKU struck right back with three runs in its half of the fifth inning. Rice, J.B. Paxson and Wells all had RBI singles in the inning to give the Hilltoppers a 4-3 lead.
It only took two batters in the Warhawks' half of the sixth to tie the game back up. McMillan led off the inning drawing a walk and then Matt Laird hammered an 0-2 fastball out of the park to right field. After a pair of outs, Blanchard doubled down the line in left field and later scored on an infield single by Jordy Poche.
Ben Paxton (1-0) picked up the win throwing a third of an inning, while Bryce Jenney tossed the eighth and ninth innings for his second save of the season.
After cruising through the first three innings, Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year Matt Ridings labored through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings as the Warhawks tagged him for five runs on five hits.
Keith Christensen started on the bump for the Warhawks and threw 4.2 innings allowing four runs on six hits. Blake Jones (0-1) suffered the loss allowing three runs ? two earned ? on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.
The teams continue the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. ULM will send sophomore right-hander Jordy Poche (0-0, 3.60 ERA)to the mound, while Western Kentucky will counter with Matt Hightower (1-0, 0.00). The game will be broadcast live on 1680 AM in Monroe and worldwide at ULMAthletics.com with the pregame show starting at 2:45 p.m.
