MONROE, La. -- ULM used a pair
of two-run singles by Caleb Clowers and Joey Cesario to complete a two-game,
mid-week sweep of Mississippi Valley State with a 5-4 victory Wednesday night
at Warhawk Field.
ULM set the Warhawk Field
single-season attendance record as Wednesday night's crowd of 1,143 pushed the
season total to 25,731 breaking the previous mark of 25,008 set in 2001.
The Warhawks grabbed an early
lead thanks to Clowers' two-out single with the bases loaded in the second. The
single came after Mississippi Valley State starter Mark Kaplan hit a batter and
walked a pair; the Warhawks drew a season-high 11 walks in the game.
Michael Lowe tied the game
with a two-out, two-run single of his own in the top of the third. The inning
was extended due to a one-out error by the Warhawk infield. The Delta Devils
took the lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Curtis Ford following a two-out
double by Derek Wallace.
Clowers tied the game in the
bottom of the frame with his third RBI of the night as he drove a fly ball to
center field which allowed Les Aulds to score.
Aulds walked three times and stole a pair of bases.
Mississippi Valley answered
right back in their half of the fifth to regain the lead. With runners on first
and third and two outs, Jerry Hildreth took off for second base and as the
Warhawks got him in a rundown Kylie Ming scored from third.
The Warhawks took the lead for
good in the sixth as the Delta Devils once again walked the bases loaded. Cesario
made them pay for the free passes with a single through the left side of the
infield to drive in a pair.
Wallace had a game-high three
hits while Lowe added a pair as the Delta Devils out-hit the Warhawks 10-4 on
the night. Clowers added a second single and drew a pair of walks to reach base
four times.
Luke Briley (4-2) went eight
innings for the Warhawks to pick up the win. The senior co-captain did not
issue a walk and scattered 10 hits as he allowed four runs -- two earned -- and
struck out two. James Jones worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his fourth save of
the season.
David Brauhn (3-6) suffered
the loss for Mississippi Valley after he allowed a run on two hits in two
innings out of the bullpen.
ULM travels to Murfreesboro,
Tenn., for a critical three-game Sun Belt Conference series this weekend. The
Warhawks and Blue Raiders enter the weekend tied for the eighth in the league
standings.
