NACODOGOCHES, Texas -Matt
Laird hit a three-run home run and made a game-ending diving catch in center
field to lead ULM to a 10-9 victory over Stephen F. Austin Saturday afternoon
at Jaycees Field in game two of the SFA Lumberjack Classic.
Laird's home run was one of
four in the first three innings of the game for the Warhawks (2-2) as they
jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Stephen F. Austin (4-1), who defeated No. 28 Texas
A&M on Wednesday, rallied to tie the game with three runs in the fourth and
five runs in the sixth.
Josh Chappell picked the
perfect time to pick up his first hit of the season as he singled back up the
middle with runners on first and second to hand the lead back to the Warhawks,
9-8, in the top of the seventh inning.
Jordy Poche, who finished the
game 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, plated what proved to be the winning
run with a single through the left side of the infield in the eighth.
Wil Browning worked a perfect
eighth inning and pitched around a fielding error in the ninth to pick up his
second save of the season. With one unearned run already on the board for the
Lumberjacks in the ninth and the tying run on third base, Patrick Gratzke lined
a ball that looked like it would land in the left-center gap to tie the game. However,
Laird fully extended to make the catch and end the game.
Laird and Poche hit
back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning to give the Warhawks an
early 4-0 lead. Laird's 20th career homer scored Caleb Clowers and
Nick Wade after the pair reached on back-to-back singles.
The lead swelled to 6-0 in the
second after Jarrett Hammond hit his first career home run and Wade drove home
Boomer Blanchard with a single to left. Blanchard doubled to chase SFA starter Tyler
Herriage after just 1.1 innings of work.
Perry Smith got into the home
run barrage in the top of the third with a two-run blast to center field. Poche
scored on Smith's homer after leading off the frame with a single to left.
Wade, Laird and Smith each had
a pair of hits for the Warhawks as they belted out a season-high 13 as a team.
Garrett Smith led SFA going 3-for-5, while Bobby Loveless and Ryan Priest each
had two hits.
The Lumberjacks finally broke
through against ULM starter Drew Granier in the fourth on an RBI double by Loveless
to score Bo Coffman. After Granier struck out Justin Long for the second time, Priest
hammered a ball over the center-field wall to pull SFA within five, 8-3.
Priest struck again two
innings later with a three-run homer after Poche replaced Granier to start the
bottom of the sixth inning. Tanner Hines pulled the Lumberjacks within one,
8-7, with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Darren Crabtree, the ninth batter of
the inning for SFA, doubled to left-center to score Smith and tie the game.
Josh Miller (1-1) picked up
the win for the Warhawks after pitching 1.2 innings in relief of Poche. Granier
took his second straight no-decision in a ULM win after allowing three runs on
five hits over five innings of work.
Cody Priest (0-1) took the
loss for SFA allowing two runs on four hits over 1.1 innings. Herriage was spared
the loss after giving up six runs on six hits.
The Warhawks and Northwestern
State (3-2) play Sunday at 3 p.m. for the tournament championship. The Demons
defeated Creighton 8-7 in Saturday's first game. The game will be broadcast
live on 540 AM in northeast Louisiana and worldwide online at ulmwarhawks.com.
