MONROE, La. -- ULM got gutsy pitching
performances from Randy Zeigler and James Jones and three RBIs off the bat of
Joey Rapp to defeat Troy 4-3 Saturday evening at Warhawk Field. The victory
evened the three-game series at one game each to force the rubber game Sunday
at 1 p.m.
Zeigler (5-4) held the Trojans
to just one run and two hits over the first 7.1 innings of the game to earn the
win, while Jones recorded the final five outs of the contest to pick up his
seventh save of the season. Zeigler finished the contest with three runs and
four hits on his tally.
Jones had to work out of a jam
in the ninth after a lead-off single, a one-out walk and a two-out hit batter
loaded the bases. Tyler Hannah, who drove home the game-winner off of Jones in
Friday night's game, was all that stood between ULM and a victory.
Hannah made contact on a check
swing then sent a soft roller under the glove of a charging Jones, but second
baseman Caleb Clowers made an outstanding play to glove the ball and flip to
first to end the game.
ULM (23-26, 8-18 Sun Belt)
scored four unanswered runs over the middle portion of the game after Troy
(36-15, 18-8) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
Rapp drove in the first of his
three runs with a single to center field in the bottom of the third to score
Les Aulds. Aulds led off the frame by beating out an infield single and then
took second on a throwing error by Troy pitcher Jimmy Hodgskin.
Jarrett Hammond and Rapp
delivered back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth inning to stretch the ULM lead
out to 3-1. Shane Ardoin started the frame with a single to center and a sac
bunt by Aulds moved him to second. Hammond's single scored Ardoin and Rapp
scored Hammond following a wild pitch.
Rapp, who has driven in a run
with all four of his hits in the series, plated what proved to be the
game-winner in the seventh. Hammond led off the frame with a single through the
left-side of the infield and then Rapp hammered a ball to the wall in
right-center field.
Adam Bryant pulled the Trojans
to within the final one-run margin with a two-run single in the top of the
eighth inning. A one-out walk to Tyson Workman and a double by Hannah preceded the
Bryant single.
The only hit Zeigler allowed
until the seventh inning with an infield single by Josh McDorman in the third
inning. He would eventually come around to score the first run of the game on a
ground out by Daniel Peterson.
Hodgskin (2-6) was charged
with the loss for Troy. He allowed three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits
over five innings of work.
The Warhawks will be in search
of their first Sunday victory in Sun Belt play this season as Drew Granier
(3-4, 4.06) will get the start on the mound in the finale.
