MONROE, La. – ULM used a two-run fifth inning and a four-run sixth inning to rally for the lead, and the Warhawk baseball team held off a late challenge from Grambling State for a 7-6 win Saturday night at Warhawk Field.
"That was definitely an ugly win," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "It's kind of like I told our team before the game, it's a new day, it's a new umpire, it's a new pitcher on the mound and that was a different dugout over there with Grambling. They got some momentum going. They were hooting and hollering, and I think we got punched in the mouth. We didn't know how to respond for a while."
ULM's first challenge of the night came approximately an hour before the 6 p.m. first pitch. Catcher Logan Wurm informed Federico that the game's starting pitcher, Cam Barlow, was ill in the locker room. Federico turned to the bullpen for senior Conner Deeds to make the emergency spot start. Deeds worked into the fourth inning, giving up four runs, two earned, on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
"I've been coaching over 20 years, and I've never done that in my entire life, to walk out and say you're starting tonight," Federico said. "Of all the people on our team, especially the pitchers, Conner Deeds is that guy. He is a tremendous leader for us. He's our hybrid guy. He can start, he's closed for us, he got a save last week, he's a long reliever, he's done a little bit of everything for us."
Catcher Logan Wurm credited Deeds for stepping up when the Warhawks needed him.
"He steps up every chance he gets," Wurm said. "Not very many people realize how hard it is to step up in that situation. He's out there, playing around, catching fly balls, and Coach Fed walked out there and said, 'hey, you're starting.' Not many people can do that. That's a really tough job."
ULM gave Deeds a lead to work with when Ryan Humeniuk scored on a sacrifice bunt by Wurm in the second inning. Grambling answered with a single run in the top of the third on Ian Bailey's RBI single. The Tigers surged in front for the first time in the series with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by two runs scoring on a potential double play ball that turned into a ULM throwing error. The Tigers added another run in the fifth inning on Miguel Medina's double for the 5-1 advantage.
The Warhawks answered in the bottom of the fifth inning. Colby Deaville led off the inning with a triple and scored moments later on Trace Henry's RBI double off the top of the left field wall. Henry scored when Wiley Cleland grounded into a double play later in the inning to cut the gap to 5-3.
With Grambling on the verge of building their lead back out, Federico turned to the bullpen for Justin Barton. The senior lefty quickly worked a strikeout to get out of a bases loaded, two-out jam with no damage done.
Barton added a scoreless seventh inning to pick up his first win of the season.
"Wurm is awesome back there (at catcher)," Barton said. "I was coming in, and was going to throw what Wurm called. That's all I was focused on. I wasn't focused on anyone on the bases. I wasn't trying to make the moment bigger than what it was. It was just come in and get one out. I'm one pitch away. Just throw what Wurm calls, that's all I was doing."
After Barton's strikeout to escape the top of the sixth inning, Danny DeSimone opened the home half of the inning with a solo home run to left center to get within a run at 5-4. ULM tied the game later in the inning when Colin Gordon scored on Henry's sacrifice bunt. ULM claimed the lead when Deaville scored on a wild pitch, and added what proved to be the winning run on Mason Holt's RBI single for a 7-5 lead.
Landon Longsworth gave up a run in the top of the eighth inning, but then added a perfect ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. Barton picked up the win in relief.
DeSimone and Deaville were the only two Warhawks with two hits on the day, while Henry had two RBIs. Medina had three hits and two RBIs to pace Grambling.
The two teams wrap up the series at 1 p.m. Sunday. Links to live video, audio and stats, as well as ticket information, is online at ULMWarhawks.com.
