BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Sun Belt Player of the
Year Jeremy Sy smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning to
send the No. 5 ULM baseball team to a 9-7 win over No.1 Florida Atlantic in Sun
Belt Conference Tournament action Wednesday afternoon at Bowling Green Ballpark.
The Warhawks (30-27) sit atop Pool A with a
2-0 record. ULM has won both of its
games in the tournament in extra innings (beat No. 4 South Alabama 7-4 in 10
innings Tuesday).
Jeff Fuller reached base to lead off the
bottom of the 13th on a dropped pop up by Florida Atlantic first baseman Mark
Nelson. Justin Stawychny laid down a
would-be sacrifice bunt, but pitcher Ahmed Garcia (3-1) made a nice play to
throw Fuller out at second base. A Les
Aulds fly out set the stage for Sy, who grooved a 1-0 Garcia pitch deep and out
over the left field to win the game.
Judd Edwards led all hitters with a 4-for-6
day, including three doubles and three runs scored. Corben Green added three hits and three RBIs,
while Sy finished with two hits and three RBIs.
Brandon Alexander laced a leadoff double into
the right field corner off Bo Logan to open the bottom of the eighth inning for
the Warhawks. Edwards came through with
a double of his own to the gap in right center field, plating Alexander to give
ULM a 5-4 lead. An Abdalla fly out
against Alvarez moved Edwards to third.
Alvarez struck out Green swinging for the inning's second out. With Logan Fiasco protecting at the plate,
Edwards made an all-out hustle play to steal home and up the lead to 6-4.
Corey Keller opened the top of the ninth
inning with a leadoff double and advanced to third on an infield single by Mike
Spano. Wil Browning (8-3) induced a
fielder's choice ground ball to the mound to retire Keller at third base for
the first out. A Nathan Pittman fly out
advanced the runners to second and third base.
Mike Abaladejo cleared the bases with a double to left center field to
tie the game 6-6.
Florida Atlantic's (32-21) Pittman picked up
his second big hit of the game, driving a 0-2 Browning pitch to the gap in
right center to score Spano and vault the Owls in front 7-6 in the top of the
11th inning.
Green kept the Warhawks alive in the bottom
of the 11th, lacing a one-out single off R.J. Alvarez down the right field
line. Pinch hitter Stawychny drew a
full-count walk to move pinch runner Fuller into scoring position at second
base. Alvarez got Les Aulds to fly out
to right field for the inning's second out.
Sy drilled a single down the left field line, scoring Fuller from second
base to tie the game at 7-7.
Mitch Morales worked a five-pitch walk off
ULM starter Cale Wine in the top of the first inning, and then advanced to
second on a single by Alex Hudak. The
third baseman Edwards turned a nifty 5-3 double play on a sharply hit ball by
Kyle Newton to get Wine out of the frame.
Florida Atlantic loaded the bases in the top
of the second inning after Geoff Jimenez reached base on a ULM error while
laying down a sacrifice bunt. A Pittman
sacrifice fly scored Keller and gave the Owls a 1-0 lead. Wine got out of trouble by striking out Albaladejo
on a 2-2 breaking ball for the final out of the inning.
Alexander drove a 1-0 offering from Owl
starter Kevin Alexander over the wall in right field to lead off the bottom of
the second inning, tying the game at 1-1.
Edwards followed with a sharp double down the third base line to keep
the ULM momentum flowing. An Abdalla fly
out to deep left center field moved Edwards to third base. Green blasted a 1-2 pitch deep and out over
the right field wall to vault the Warhawks in front 3-1.
Nelson clocked a two-out offering from Wine
over the left field wall to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the third inning.
Wine sat Florida Atlantic down in order in
the top of the fourth inning, as Spano flew out to center field, Jimenez
grounded out to third base and Pittman struck out swinging.
Wine threw 7.2 innings of six-hit baseball,
walking two and striking out four.
Browning struck out five Owls in five full innings to pick up his second
straight win.
Edwards opened the bottom of the fourth with
a single to right field, and then took second on a stolen base. A Michael Silvestri passed ball moved Edwards
to third base with one out. Green knocked
a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Edwards and gave the Warhawks the
lead (4-3).
ULM retired the Owls in order once more in
the top of the sixth, as Wine breezed through the side on five pitches to keep
the Warhawks in front 4-3.
Florida Atlantic tied the game on a Pittman
solo home run over the wall in right center field in the top of the seventh
inning, tying the game 4-4.
Newton singled up the middle in the top of
the eighth with two outs to keep the inning alive for Florida Atlantic. Kendall Thamm entered for Wine and promptly
struck out Nelson swinging to hold the Owls at bay.
The Warhawks return to action Saturday night
against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. at Bowling Green Ballpark. The game will be the final contest of pool
play at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
