MONROE, La.?South Alabama exploded for 11 runs over the
first two innings and held off a steady ULM rally to defeat the Warhawks 12-9
in the Sun Belt Conference series opener Friday night at Warhawk Field.
The Jaguars (22-23, 10-12 Sun Belt) scored six runs in
the opening frame on the strength of a two-run double by Derek O'Reilly and a
two-run home run by Nathaniel Lami.
ULM (25-21, 12-13) answered right back with five in the
bottom of the inning powered by three homers in the inning ? the most in a
single inning this season by the Warhawks. Jon Prevost and Ben Soignier hit
back-to-back homers for the first two runs of the inning and Nick Wade hit a
towering three-run blast to left field for the final three runs.
South Alabama picked right up in the second inning
plating five runs with a two-run single by Brad Hook leading the way. The
Warhawks held the Jaguars to just one run over the course of the game with it coming
in the third inning.
The Warhawks started chipping away with single runs in
the second and fourth innings and two runs in the sixth inning. ULM stranded 13
runners on base in the game, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth
and ninth innings.
O'Reilly led the Jaguars' 18-hit attack with four hits
including a pair of doubles. David Doss and Adam Heisler added three hits,
while three other South Alabama players finished the night with multiple hits.
Smith, Prevost, Soignier, Matt Collins and Jordy Poche
all had a pair of hits for the Warhawks. Both of Smith's hits went for extra
bases as the right fielder hit a double and a triple.
Despite allowing seven runs on nine hits over five
innings of work, Miles Ethridge (4-2) picked up the win on the mound for the
Jaguars. Lance Baxter picked up his fifth save of the season not allowing a run
over the final 2.1 innings of the game.
Justin Anderson (6-2) struggled for the Warhawks allowing
nine runs ? eight earned ? on seven hits in one inning of work. Josh Miller
gave ULM a valiant effort out of the bullpen holding the Jaguars to three runs
on nine hits over six innings with four strikeouts.
The teams continue the series tomorrow afternoon at 3:07
p.m. in front of a live television audience on CSS. The game will be broadcast
live on 1680 AM in the Monroe area and worldwide on the internet at
ulmathletics.com.
