MONROE, La. - An RBI single by Jeremy Sy in
the bottom of the ninth inning drove home the winning run and powered the ULM
baseball team to a 5-4 walk-off win over Memphis Tuesday night at Warhawk
Field.
The victory over the Tigers was the third for
the Warhawks this season against Conference USA opponents. ULM downed Tulane 9-3 on Feb. 21 before
dropping No. 28 Southern Mississippi 2-1 the very next night.
Logan Fiasco singled up the middle to get ULM
(8-5) rolling in the ninth, and later advanced to second on a passed ball. Tiger pitcher Jonathan Van Eaton (1-1)
intentionally walked Les Aulds to put men at first and second with only one
away. A perfectly hit single to the gap in
right center by Sy drove a diving Fiasco in from second for the win.
Memphis (5-7) threatened with consecutive
hits in the top of the ninth off reliever Wil Browning (2-0), but the
right-hander battled back by forcing Colton Simbeck to swing through a 0-2
pitch for the inning's second out. A
passed ball on the catcher Fiasco moved the go-ahead run to third base. With the count full at 3-2, Browning blew a
fastball by T.J. Rich to send the Warhawks soaring to the bottom half of the
inning.
The Tigers tied the game at 4-4 when Eli Hynes
singled up the middle to plate Keaton Aldridge from second base. Ford Wilson attempted to score all the way
from first base, but a perfect cutoff throw from Caleb Clowers nailed the
runner at the plate to end the top of the seventh inning.
Clowers led all ULM defensive players with
three assists on the night. Sy paced the
offense with a 3-for-5 evening and two RBIs, while Fiasco added three hits and
two runs scored.
Simbeck doubled off the left field wall to
put the Tigers in business to open the top half of the sixth inning. Shelby Aulds buckled down for the remainder
of the frame, punching out Ethan Gross and nabbing Tucker Tubbs swinging to
counter the Memphis offensive.
Memphis struck for the game's first run in
the top half of the first inning. Adam
McClain led off the contest with a single to right field off starter Fraser
Adams. Hynes then turned on a 1-1 pitch
for an RBI base knock to plate McClain and give the Tigers the early 1-0
advantage. Adams escaped the frame by
forcing Rich to line out to the second baseman Clowers.
ULM took its first lead in the bottom of the
third on a Sy RBI single back up the middle that scored Fiasco and gave the
Warhawks a 2-1 edge. Joey Rapp followed
two batters later with a sharp shot through the left side to bring around
Brandon Alexander and up the host's lead to 3-1. A sharp liner off the bat of Corben Green was
snagged by the right fielder Simbeck to end the threat.
Memphis tied the game in the fourth inning on
a two-run triple from Tubbs to the gap in right center that scored Rich and Gross
to square the score at 3-all. Aulds
entered in relief of Adams and forced McClain to chop out to Sy at shortstop
for the inning's third out.
Hynes stroked three base hits at the plate to
lead the Tigers, while Aldridge and Simbeck added two hits apiece. Starting pitcher Michael Wills allowed one
earned run in a seven-inning no decision.
The two teams meet in the series finale
Wednesday night at Warhawk Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
