KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - An RBI single from Joey
Rapp in the top of the 10th inning broke a 6-6 tie, vaulting the ULM baseball
team to an 8-6 victory over Tennessee in game two Saturday evening at Lindsey
Nelson Stadium.
Rapp turned on a 0-2 pitch from Nick Williams
(1-2) for a base hit up the middle, scoring Jeremy Sy from second base to give
the Warhawks a 7-6 lead. A Caleb Clowers
groundout moved Rapp to third base, but accounted for the inning's second
out. Tennessee (10-4) second baseman
Will Maddox then mishandled a slow grounder off the bat of Judd Edwards,
scoring Rapp to push the ULM cushion to 8-6.
Wil Browning (3-0) retired the final three
Tennessee batters in the bottom of the 10th inning to pick up the victory.
Rapp enjoyed a tremendous day at the plate,
finishing 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Jeremy Sy and Corben Green each added a pair
of hits and two runs scored for ULM (10-6).
Sy rapped a 1-2 triple down the left field line off
Blount to open the top of the sixth inning.
Green ripped a 1-2 pitch through the right side to plate Sy and tie the
ballgame at 3-3. Rapp followed with the
second consecutive two-strike base knock to increase the ULM pressure. Steckenrider came on in relief and struck out
Edwards and Alexander in succession to bring Logan Fiasco to the plate with the
bases still loaded and two outs. The junior
catcher delivered, shooting a bags-clearing double to the gap in right center
to rocket the Warhawks in front 6-3.
Drew Steckenrider doubled down the left field
line with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, moving Zach Osborne over
to third base and chasing Kendall Thamm from the game. In his first batter faced, Browning looked to
force Chris Fritts into a ground out to shortstop, but Sy's throw was dropped
by Rapp at first base, allowing both runners to score and close the gap to 6-5. A sacrifice fly from Jared Allen tied the
game at 6-all.
Maddox and Osborne led Tennessee with two
hits apiece, while Fritts added a base knock and two RBIs.
Tennessee struck early against Warhawk starter
Andrew Richardson. Maddox reached first
on a five-pitch walk and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt
by Osborne. A wild pitch from Richardson
moved Maddox to third. Chris Pierce
drove a ball deep to Taylor Abdalla in right field, allowing Maddox to tag up
and give the Volunteers a 1-0 lead.
Richardson forced Fritts to ground out to Sy at shortstop for the final
out of the inning.
Abdalla broke through with the first ULM hit
of the afternoon, driving a double off Volunteer starter Nick Blount over the
head of Allen in right field with two outs in the top of the third. Les Aulds drew a walk on five pitches to give
the Warhawks two base runners with two men away. Sy rapped a ball hard out to center fielder Fritts
to end the ULM threat.
Richardson struggled to open the bottom half
of the inning, hitting Pierce to load the bases with nobody out. An RBI double play groundout from Steckenrider
pushed the Tennessee advantage to 2-0.
Fritts then singled up the middle to score Osborne and extend the lead
to 3-0.
ULM got on the board in the top of the fourth
inning after Green sent the first pitch he saw from Blount screaming up the middle
for a single. Rapp took the next Blount
offering deep and out to right field, bringing the Warhawks within one run at
3-2. Blount managed to retire the next
three batters in succession to stall the ULM surge.
Kendall Thamm came on in relief of Richardson
in the bottom of the fourth inning and sat the Volunteers down in order, ending
the frame by striking out Ethan Bennett swinging.
The teams meet for the final game of the
three-game set Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
