ULM Warhawks

Chad Watson tripled home Steven Felix in the bottom of the eighth inning after Felix led off the inning drawing a 3-2 walk on fastball that would normally be too close take. Trevor Tyre tacked on an insurance run with a single past a diving Tom O'Gorman at third to extend the Troy (29-19, 16-8 Sun Belt) lead to 7-5.

The runs spoiled a dramatic comeback by the Warhawks (26-24, 12-16) off Troy closer Chris Sorce, who was charged with his first blown save of the season.

ULM began its rally with four two-out runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull with one, 5-4. Ryan McMillan led off the frame with a double and two outs later Boomer Blanchard picked up his first base hit of the weekend to put the Warhawks on the board.

After Jon Prevost drew a walk, Ben Soignier lined a single back up the middle to score Blanchard and close the gap to three. Matt Collins drew a walk to load the bases and Matt Laird lined an 0-2 offering from Sorce off the wall in right field.  Prevost and Soignier scored easily on the play, but Collins ? the potential tying run ? was thrown out at the plate on bang-bang play.

McMillan started another ULM rally in the top of the eighth with a double to the same spot in left-center field. Following the second strikeout of the inning, Perry Smith hit a sharp grounder back up the middle which would have easily plated McMillan from second. However, Sorce kicked the ball in the air and it fell harmlessly for an infield single.

The Trojans then thought they were out of the inning as Blanchard skied a ball between home plate and first base, but first baseman Ryan Ditthardt dropped the ball allowing McMillan to tie the game at 5-5.

The Trojans struck first with a two-out rally in the second inning. Miles Hoyle drew a four-pitch walk, moved to third on a single by Michael Precise and scored on a first-pitch single to center field by Felix.

Following a lead-off line out in the bottom of the third, six straight Trojan batters reached base as they scored four runs in the inning to stake a 5-0 lead. Tyre and Precise had RBI singles and Hoyle drove home two runs with a double to left.

After Charley Williams robbed O'Gorman of extra bases with a diving catch in right-center field, Smith broke up Travis Burge's no-hit bid with a two-out single to left field in the top of the fifth inning.

Smith, McMillan and Soignier all finished with two hits for the Warhawks, while Tyre led the Trojans with a 3-for-5 night.

Burge (6-1) took a no-decision for Trojans allowing two runs on five hits over 6.2 innings with four strikeouts and two walks in the final home start of his career. Sorce (1-1) picked up the win despite blowing the save opportunity striking out six ULM batters and allowing four hits over 2.1 innings.

Justin Anderson, ULM's starter, also took a non-decision allowing five runs on 10 hits over 6.2 innings. Drew Graham (2-2) took the loss allowing two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings.

The Warhawks have dropped nine of their last 10 Sun Belt games after winning eight of nine league tilts.

The teams wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. ULM will send right-hander Don Williams (5-1, 5.60 ERA) to the mound, while the Trojans will counter with right-hander Jason Walls (3-4, 4.47).