MONROE, La. -- ULM (15-14, 5-7 Sun Belt) scored eight of its nine runs Saturday in the fifth inning or later as it rallied twice to pick up a doubleheader sweep and a series win over UT Arlington (14-16, 5-7) on Saturday at Warhawk Field.
ULM 2, UT Arlington 1 (DH Game 1)
After Trey Setzer struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning, the Warhawks completed the comeback with a walk off win in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Spencer Hemphill doubled down the left field line and was replaced by pinch runner Vincent Dellocono. Dellocono moved to third on a wild pitch and scored what proved to be the winning run on Danny Springer's walk-off RBI sacrifice fly to left field.
Setzer picked up the win and improved to 5-0 on the season after registering his first career complete game. During his 117-pitch outing, he surrendered four hits, four walks and one unearned run while striking out six.
Maverick relief pitcher Daniel James was tagged with the loss and falls to 2-2 on the season after surrendering three hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings.
Both starting pitchers, Setzer and Brad Vassar, matched scoreless frames over each of the first five innings and it wasn't until the sixth that either team scored.
In the top of the sixth, Brady Cox reached on an error and later scored on a Travis Sibley RBI single to right field to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
ULM tallied a single run in the bottom of the eighth as pinch runner Robbie Podorksy scored on a RBI single through the left side by Keelin Rasch to even the game at 1-1 after eight innings. The Warhawks tallied another single run in the ninth as the squad picked up their first walk-off win of the season.
Rasch and Dalton Todd led the Warhawks at the plate as the duo combined for five of the Warhawks seven hits. Rasch also drove in one run in the win.
ULM 7, UT Arlington 5 (DH Game 2)
After a scoreless first inning, UT Arlington plated five runs (four earned) to take the early advantage. Travis Sibley highlighted the inning with a two-RBI single down the left field line.
ULM scored its first game of the contest in the home half of the third as Dalton Todd singled to left field and later scored on a RBI single through the right side by Kodie Tidwell.
The Warhawks were able to trim the deficit to one run after a three-run fifth inning. Two of the three ULM runs in the frame were unearned and Keelin Rasch and Nathan Pugh each tallied RBI in the frame that brought the Warhawks within one run.
An inning later the Warhawks again struck for three runs as they took a 7-5 lead after six innings of play. Anthony Herrera, Tidwell and Justin Stawychny all tallied RBI in the frame that saw the Warhawks take the lead for good en route to the twin bill sweep.
Starting pitcher Keegan Curtis gave way to Weston Mason and Herrera as the duo combined to pitch the final 2.1 innings of the nightcap, allowing just two hits with two strikeouts. Curtis earned the win and improved to 2-0 after allowing four runs (five total) on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Herrera earned his third save of the season as he pitches a scoreless top of the ninth.
Todd and Tidwell paced the Warhawks in the finale as Todd finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Tidwell was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
UT Arlington reliever Kyle Leberge was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts in three innings of work.
ULM will return to action on Tuesday evening as it welcomes McNeese State for a 6 p.m. contest at Warhawk Field. For updates throughout the season on the baseball squad, be sure to follow the team on Twitter @ULM_BSB and Facebook (www.facebook.com/ULMBaseball).
