MONROE, La. -- Western
Kentucky scored seven runs -- all with two outs -- in the top of the seventh
inning to defeat ULM 8-5 Saturday night at Warhawk Field. The victory by the
Hilltoppers turns Sunday's finale into a rubber game after the Warhawks took
the opener 5-4 on Friday.
The teams headed to the
seventh inning knotted at 1-1, but WKU put together five hits around a pair of
walks in the top of the inning to take an 8-1 lead; the walks were the first of
the game by ULM starter Randy Zeigler.
Ivan Hartle drew an
eight-pitch walk with the bases loaded to break the tie and then Matt Rice hit
a two-run single into center field after battling off a pair of pitches with
the full count. Kes Carter made it 5-1 with a single to center and Ryan
Hutchison delivered the knockout blow with a 3-run homer to left.
The Warhawks clawed back with four
runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull within three, 8-5. Les Aulds
doubled around a pair of walks to load the bases with nobody out. Taylor Haydel
came out of the WKU bullpen and Caleb Clowers greeted him with a single to
shallow center to plate a run. A wild pitch scored another run and put two
runners in scoring position.
Taylor Abdalla drove home the
third run of the inning with a grounder to third and Jason Hicks followed with
a single to right-center to bring home the fourth run of the inning. Joey
Cesario drew a pinch-hit walk before Brian Edelen came out of the bullpen to
record the final out of the frame.
The Hilltoppers (26-17, 11-9
Sun Belt) scored the game's first run as Casey Dykes singled home Ryan Huck in
the third after the WKU first baseman led off the inning with a double.
Jarrett Hammond -- last night's
hero for ULM (22-20, 7-13) -- tied the game with an RBI single in the home-half
of the third. Shane Ardoin scored on the play after reaching on a one-out
single and moving to third on a single by Aulds.
Justin Hageman (7-4) went
seven innings for the Hilltoppers on the mound to pick up the victory. He
scattered seven hits, struck out six, walked two and allowed four runs. He left
the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh and all three of
the runners came home to score. Edelen tossed 1.1 scoreless innings for his
first save of the season.
Zeigler (4-4) had held the Sun
Belt's leading hitting team to just four hits over the first six innings, but
was charged with seven runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings before the night was
over.
First pitch for the series
finale in scheduled for 1 p.m. It will be Kids Day at Warhawk Field as all
children 12 and under will be admitted free and can run on the field with their
favorite Warhawk player for the National Anthem. It will also be $1 hot dog day
at the concession stand.
