MONROE, La. -- The ULM baseball team dropped the series opener to visiting to Louisiana-Lafayette, 10-3, on Thursday night at Warhawk Field.
UL-L (32-20, 16-11 Sun Belt) plated the first runs of the game as Tyler Girouard plated a pair with a two-RBI single to left field to give the visiting Cajuns a 2-0 lead after 1/2 of an inning. An inning later, UL-L pushed the lead to 3-0 on a solo homer to left by Dylan Butler.
After being held scoreless the first three innings, the Warhawks (25-27, 12-16) finally broke through with a single run in the home half of the fourth. With one out in the frame, Kodie Tidwell tallied his 20th double of the season and moved to third on Justin Stawychny's infield bunt single. Tidwell was able to score the first run of the game for the Warhawks as he raced home on Danny Springer's fielder's choice RBI.
In the top of the fifth, the Cajuns pushed the lead back to three runs on a sacrifice fly to center field by Kyle Clement.
ULM responded with a single run in the bottom of the fifth. Jacob Stockton led off the inning with a double and later came in to score when Nathan Pugh reached on a throwing error by Cajun short stop Blake Trahan to trim the deficit to two runs (4-2).
UL-L added a trio of runs, all with two outs, in the seventh inning to extend the lead to five runs at 7-2.
In the bottom of the seventh inning Keelin Rasch singled up the middle, swiped second and later came in to score on a wild pitch to make it a four-run deficit at 7-3.
UL-L set the final tally at 10-3 as they scored three runs in the top half of the ninth inning.
Alex Hermeling (4-7) was tagged with the loss after allowing four earned runs (five total) on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Weston Mason, Payton Coddou and Matthew Reeves combined to record the final nine outs of the series opener.
Rasch paced the Warhawk offense with two hits and one run in the opener.
UL-L starting pitcher Gunner Leger earned the win and improved to 6-4 on the season after allowing three total runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings on the bump.
ULM and UL-L will square off in game two of the series on Friday night with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.
For updates throughout the season on the baseball squad, be sure to follow the team on Twitter @ULM_BSB, Facebook (www.facebook.com/ULMBaseball) and Instagram (@ULM_BSB).
