MONROE, La. – ULM answered a four-run top of the fifth inning from Nicholls State with two runs to regain the lead in the bottom half before the Warhawk bullpen combined to give up just one hit over the final four innings in a series-clinching win for the Warhawks, 6-4, Sunday afternoon at Warhawk Field.
ULM (5-3 overall) used a three-run fourth inning and the two-run fifth to build the lead.
Ryan Humeniuk hit a solo home run in the second inning to give ULM the 1-0 lead and finished tied with
Trace Henry with a team-high two hits.
Grant Schulz and
Logan Wurm drove in a pair of runs as ULM collected 10 hits.
Tyler Lien (2-0) earned his second win despite a rough fifth inning. Lien allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts. All four Nicholls (3-7 overall) runs came in the fifth inning off five of the six hits. Lien had retired 11 straight Colonels since Basiel Williams' two-out infield single in the first inning before Kyle Boudreaux's one-out double ignited Nicholls' offense in the fifth. Boudreaux had a team-high two hits for the Colonels.
Bryson Wrobel and
Reid Goleman (save: 1) came out of the bullpen for ULM and doused Nicholls' offensive firepower. Wrobel threw two scoreless innings, giving up one hit with a strikeout. Goleman earned his first career save with two scoreless and hitless innings, hitting one batter and striking out four others.
With a 1-0 lead, ULM's offense went to work in the fourth inning.
Wiley Cleland's single to right centerfield started the offense. Humeniuk followed with a successful hit-and-run to move Cleland to third. Schulz reached on a bunt single to score
Wiley Cleland on the safety squeeze for the 2-0 lead. A wild pitch moved Humeniuk and Schulz up to second and third before Wurm's 2-RBI single shot through the left side to double the lead to 4-0.
Nicholls answered back in the fifth as Boudreaux's double down the right field line started things off for the Colonels. After a groundout for the second out of the inning, Nicholls strung together four straight hits with Erick Hernandez's RBI single and Greg Anderberg's 2-RBI single driving in the runs. Wes Toups scored the game-tying run when he was caught in a rundown between third base and home. However, an errant throw to the plate allowed Toups to score and tie the game at 4.
ULM answered right back in the bottom of the inning.
Danny DeSimone battled back from a no balls, two strikes count to walk. Cleland was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Humeniuk hit a ground ball up the middle that went between through the second baseman's legs and into centerfield, scoring DeSimone for the 5-4 lead. Schulz followed with another successful safety squeeze to plate Cleland with the 6-4 edge.
The Warhawks wrap up the five-game homestand at 6 p.m. Tuesday against I-20 foe Louisiana Tech at Warhawk Field. Tickets are $10. Links to live audio and stats are available on the baseball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
