MONROE, La. -- Louisiana-Lafayette
scored six runs in the third and fourth innings to defeat ULM 6-2 Thursday
night in the Sun Belt Conference series opener at Warhawk Field.
It took just two batters for
the Warhawks to grab a lead in the their first at-bat of the ball game as
Jarrett Hammond hammered a ball over the left-field wall for his fourth home
run of the season. Les Aulds scored on the blast after leading off the frame
with a single.
Taylor Hubbell and Joey
Satriano held the Warhawks scoreless over the remainder of the contest and allowed
just four more hits. Hubbell (5-6) earned the win for the Cajuns (30-23, 17-11
Sun Belt) after scattering the six hits and striking out two.
ULL began its comeback with a
pair of runs in the third inning. A single by Chase Compton and double by
Jordan Bourque opened the frame. Following a strikeout, Greg Fontenot grounded
out to short to score the first run and Mike Petello singled home Bourque to
tie the game.
Compton gave the Cajuns the
lead with a single to right field in the fourth to score Daniel Nichols after
he led off the inning with a walk. A two-out passed ball with the bases loaded
allowed the second run of the inning to score and Petello followed with a
double to left to score two more.
Petello finished 2-for-4 with
three RBIs to lead ULL while Compton was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and
an RBI. Judd Edwards was the lone ULM (23-29, 8-20) player with multiple hits as he
finished 2-for-4. Joey Rapp's streak of reaching base safely ended at 48 games
after he went 0-for-4 in the game.
Kendall Thamm, who entered the
game on the heels of three straight quality starts, was charged with the loss
for the Warhawks. Thamm (0-5) allowed six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits
in just four innings of work. Shelby Aulds held ULL to one hit over the final
five innings of the game.
The teams continue their
three-game series Friday at 6 p.m.
