TROY, Ala. – ULM led 4-1 in the fourth inning and faced a bases-loaded situation with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Anthony Herrera caught a game-ending pop fly for his ninth save and a 4-3 win for the Warhawks on Sunday.
Each of the first three Trojan batters in their last at-bat bunted, with a sacrifice sandwiched between two singles. Matt Sanders then hit a comebacker to Herrera on the mound, but the throw to second on a potential game-ending double play went into the outfield and allowed a run to score.
A walk and sacrifice fly followed, and then a comebacker to the mound just got out of reach from Herrera while also loading the bases. Peyton Fuller then hit a high pop fly along the first-base line, and Herrera camped underneath it to finish the game.
ULM (19-30, 9-15 SBC) got on the board when Josh Faciane beat out what would have been an inning-ending double play in the second. Danny Springer, who led off the frame with a double down the left field line, was able to score on the play.
Troy (27-21, 12-12 SBC) evened the score in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout of its own.
Herrera picked up where he left off from his clutch two-way performance on Saturday. The junior faced a full count with two outs and the bases loaded in the fourth, but singled through the middle to give ULM a 3-1 lead. Nathan Pugh, whose two prior hits kept up his hot streak, then drew a five-pitch walk with the bases loaded that made it a 4-1 margin.
Keller Bradford entered the game after the seventh-inning stretch and gave up a triple and walk, but back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout to center field preserved the ULM lead.
The bottom of the eighth was one of the more dramatic scoreless innings of the season. The Trojans welcomed Herrera with two quick singles. Spencer Hemphill then made arguably the biggest play of his career. He dove for a popped-up bunt just outside of the right-handed batter's box, then gunned a throw to Danny Springer at first base for the twin-killing that ending the Troy threat and kept it a 4-1 contest.
ULM starter Keegan Curtis earned his first win of the year after allowing just one earned run in six complete innings. The Trojans only had one single off of him in the final three stanzas.
Diamond Notes…
-Anthony Herrera also picked up a three-inning save in Saturday's game while adding a clutch two-run double that padded the Warhawks' late lead. He added two more hits on Sunday.
-Herrera is one save away from tying the ULM single-season record (Michael Durham, 10 in 2000).
-Keller Bradford made his fourth consecutive appearance, giving him 32 on the year. He moved into third on ULM's single-season list, one away from catching Tyler Bray for second (2014). Durham's 36 in 2000 is the record.
-Nathan Pugh is 10-for-21 (.476) through his six-game hitting streak. He holds the team lead with 13 doubles.
-Keegan Curtis' longest outings of the year have come in each of his last three starts (6 1/3 vs. Georgia Southern on May 1).
-Cade Stone's three walks marked the eighth time a Warhawk had done so on the year.
-Danny Springer recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the year.
-ULM also won two of three against Troy in Monroe in 2015.
Up Next…
The Warhawks will focus on final exams all week before hosting Little Rock on Friday at 6 p.m. in their final home series.
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).
