ARLINGTON, Texas – ULM spotted Trey Auger a four-spot in the first inning of his first career start, and the Warhawks defeated UT Arlington 8-3 in Friday night's series opener.
Auger allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He had thrown just 10 innings in as many appearances coming into the game. Keller Bradford also earned his first save after going a career-high 3 1/3 innings and giving up just one hit.
Cade Stone singled and Nathan Reynolds took a pitch off the shoulder to give ULM its first two baserunners. Two batters later, Nathan Pugh got his team on the board with a sacrifice fly to deep right center. Spencer Hemphill's single and Cody Stone's double followed, and then Danny Springer joined the hit parade with a line drive over the center fielder's head that gave ULM a 4-0 lead.
UTA (17-14, 4-6 SBC) got one of the runs back when Colton Turner's sacrifice fly was just deep enough for Jacob Stockton's in-the-air throw to be late.
The Warhawks went up 6-2 in the sixth inning. Springer drew a nine-pitch walk and moved to third when Kyle Schimpf's hit-and-run single found the hole at second base. He hustled to second and was called out, but the throw allowed Springer to touch home.
The Mavs got their first two runners on in the bottom of the sixth and made it a 6-2 game before Bradford relieved Auger. Men were at first and third before Bradford forced an easy first-pitch, two-hopper to Schimpf at third base that ended the threat.
ULM (12-18, 3-7 SBC) had runners on second and third in the top of the eighth when Schimpf's sinking line drive evaded a diving catch in right field, making it a 7-2 contest.
Darien McLemore's leadoff homer in the eighth inning off of Bradford got the run back for the Mavs.
The Warhawks got more of the same in the ninth inning, adding an insurance run on Jacob Stockton's sacrifice fly to deep center. Reynolds earlier in the inning continued a night-long trend for ULM with a hit-and-run single.
Diamond Notes…
-ULM had its most first-inning runs since April 29, 2015 at Nicholls State (also four).
-Darien McLemore and Keller Bradford's fathers played a combined 31 years in the majors, but never faced each other in a pitcher-hitter matchup. Both fathers were teammates on the 2004 Oakland A's.
-Cade Stone had his sixth three-hit game of the year.
-Kyle Schimpf's multi-hit game was the second of his career.
-Brian Barefoot has recorded two hits in each of his last three starts.
-Jacob Stockton touched on all offensive facets. He doubled, had a sacrifice bunt and fly, scored a run and drove in another.
Up Next…
The two teams will square off again Saturday at 2 p.m.
For updates on the baseball squad, be sure to follow the team on Twitter @ULM_BSB, Facebook (www.facebook.com/ULMBaseball) and Instagram (@ULM_BSB).
